Cancer and cancer treatment can change your body. Changes in how your body looks, feels, and performs can change your body image—how you perceive your body and feel about your appearance, even if others see you differently.

Common physical changes

Changes in your body can be caused by cancer itself or by cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and radiation 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 treatment include the following:

• Surgical scars and loss of a part of your body
  
  
• Swelling in the limbs (lymphedema)
  
  
• 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 gain
  
  
• Hair loss
  
  
• Fatigue
  
  
• Changes in your physical abilities. You may be less coordinated, feel weaker, or be unable to participate in some physical activities.
  
  
• Changes in your reproductive and sexual function, such as infertility, early menopause, erectile difficulties

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, can drastically affect body image. You may perceive your body as "deficient" or "damaged," or even as less feminine or masculine.

Although body image concerns are normal, some cancer survivors do report positive changes in body image. Some appreciate the resilience of their bodies or discover that issues such as weight or body shape matter less.

Coping with body image concerns

There are things you can do to help yourself 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. Below are some practical tips that may help you.

• Talk with other cancer survivors about how they coped with changes in their bodies. Consider joining a support group for cancer survivors.
  
  
• Be prepared for questions and comments about your appearance and practice how you will respond.
  
  
• Try not to take negative comments about your appearance too personally. Remember that people are not trying to hurt you; they just do 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.
  
  
• 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 mental health professional.

Additional resources

Lance Armstrong Foundation: Body Image

American Cancer Society: For the Person Who Has Cancer and Feeling Good About Your Appearance

More Information

Self-Image and Cancer