Cancer and cancer treatment changes your body. These changes in how your body looks, feels, and performs can affect your body image—how you perceive your body and feel about your appearance.

Common physical changes

Changes in your body can be caused by cancer itself or by cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. Some physical changes affect your appearance, whereas others affect how your body feels or functions. Some changes may be temporary; others may be permanent. Common physical changes associated with cancer and cancer treatment includes the following:

• Scars from surgery
  
  
• A loss of a part of your body or part of an organ in your body
  
  
• Loss of sensation (such as breast sensation after breast reconstruction)
  
  
• Lymphedema (swelling in the limbs)
  
  
• Placement of a stoma, such as a colostomy (a surgical opening through which the colon is connected to the abdominal surface to provide a pathway for waste to exit the body) or an ileostomy (a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall through which digested food passes)
  
  
• Weight loss or weight gain
  
  
• Hair loss
  
  
• Fatigue
  
  
• Changes in your physical abilities, such as feeling weaker, having less endurance, feeling weaker, or being unable to participate in the physical activities you used to enjoy
  
  
• Changes in your sexual functioning, including a loss of desire for sexual activity or physical changes that makes sexual intercourse difficult. Read more about coping with sexual concerns.
  
  

• Changes to your reproductive organs, such as infertility (the inability to produce or bear a child) and early menopause

How physical changes affect body image

Visible changes, such as skin problems or hair loss, directly affect body image by changing your physical appearance. Such changes can make you self-conscious or embarrassed about your appearance. Changes that are not easily visible, such as the loss of a testicle or a hidden scar, can also affect the way you see yourself. Even if you do not look different to others, you may feel insecure about your body. You may feel that others see you differently because you have cancer, even if you look the same.

Changes in how your body performs can also affect body image. Fatigue, lack of strength, or problems with coordination may mean that you cannot do some of the things you used to. You may feel that your body has "let you down" or that you cannot depend on your body anymore. Infertility or changes in your bodily functions, such as incontinence (the inability to control the flow of urine), can drastically affect body image. You may perceive your body as "deficient" or "damaged," or even as less feminine or masculine.

Not all changes are negative, though. Some cancer survivors report positive changes in body image, such as appreciating the resilience of their bodies or discovering that issues such as weight or body shape matter less.

Coping with body image concerns

The tips below can help you cope with body image concerns. Remember that it is normal to feel anxious and distressed over changes in your body. Give yourself time to grieve physical losses and to adjust to your new body.

• Talk with other cancer survivors about how they coped with changes in their bodies.
  
  
• Be prepared for questions and comments about your appearance and practice how you will respond. Find tips about sharing your story.
  
  
• Try not to take negative comments about your appearance too personally. Remember that people are not trying to hurt you; they may feel awkward or uncomfortable and not know what to say.
  
  
• While your body may look and feel different, remember you are still the same person on the inside. Your personality, interests, and talents are not changed by cancer.
  
  
• Experiment with makeup, wigs, headscarves, and other ways of enhancing your appearance.
  
  
• Take care of your body with good nutrition, quality sleep, and an exercise program approved by your doctor. Find more ways to take care of yourself after cancer.
  
  
• If you are unable to do some of the activities or sports you used to, try to find a new activity that interests you. Learning a new physical skill can help you regain confidence in your body.
  
  
• Ask for a referral to a rehabilitation specialist to help you deal with physical limitations.

Just as each person reacts differently to the diagnosis of cancer, each person reacts differently to body changes. While some people are not affected much by body changes, others may have difficulty accepting even small changes.

If concerns about your physical appearance become overwhelming, ask your doctor for a referral to a counselor or mental health professional. Learn about the benefits of counseling.

More Information

Rehabilitation

Self-Image and Cancer

Look Good, Feel Better

Additional Resources

Livestrong: Body Image

American Cancer Society: Feeling Good About Your Appearance

Last Updated: September 10, 2009