Cancer Care

With an increasing number of people receiving a cancer diagnosis in Ireland, adding cancer care treatments to your spa menu will meet client demand

An estimated 44,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Ireland each year, according to the Irish Cancer Society, but medical advancements in both detection and treatment mean that more people are living relatively full or longer lives with cancer, or have recovered from it. With the disease becoming more prevalent and manageable, it makes sense for spas to cater to clients living with, or recuperating from, a cancer diagnosis.

Rainforest Spa in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow was the first spa in Ireland to be certified as ‘Cancer Aware’ by global spa directory Spafinder Wellness 365 over a decade ago.

“At the time, we sought specialised training after a friend, who had previously had a cancer diagnosis, was turned away by a prestigious spa,” explains owner Adrienne Stewart, who is also director of Powerscourt Springs Health Farm, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. “Back then, spas and therapists were correctly afraid to tackle this area without the proper training, which is why we decided to seek it out and invest in it.

“When we started offering spa cancer care treatments, very few people had heard of the concept. It took some time for awareness to grow, and initially our appointments were being made by people booking treatments for their loved ones to give them some relief. Then it shifted to those living with cancer booking treatments for themselves as a holistic adjunct to their medical treatment.”

Changing times

In the past three years, Stewart has seen an even bigger change in demand. “Cancer care treatments have become 'normalised'. For example, groups come on day spa packages to us as they always did, and now they simply request for one to have a cancer care treatment in the same manner that they would ask for a pregnancy treatment.”

The Chill Spa at the Ice House Hotel in Ballina, Co Mayo also offers cancer care treatments, with the team previously taking part in training with Christine Clinton, founder of Christine Clinton Cancer Care, and more recently receiving a CIBTAC qualification through Clare Noble at Voya.

“More and more, we are seeing on consultation forms that clients have been touched by cancer, and may not have always said it when they were booking,” explains spa manager Elaine Armstrong. “This was because they didn’t think it was relevant, as they may have finished their treatment, or because they didn’t want to be refused a service.

“In my opinion, the days are gone when you'd refuse someone a spa treatment because they have cancer or another illness. In fact, these clients need our services more than anyone. As long as the spa and team are educated and have protocols to follow, and health and safety guidelines are being met, there should be no reason why anyone can’t be treated. Furthermore, when it comes to cancer care, no one client will be treated the same, as everyone reacts differently to their own cancer treatment, so our therapies are adapted accordingly.”

Last year, the iNua Collection of hotels launched its Barróg Spa Treatments, which are suitable for clients living with cancer or with a history of cancer. Created in collaboration with Christine Clinton Cancer Care and Peigin Crowley of Ground Wellbeing, the treatments were developed to bring comfort and specific relief to compromised skin, and to support the client's wellbeing.

“We can perform these treatments on any client, no matter what stage of their cancer journey they are on,” explains Amy Devaney, spa manager, Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Sligo, which is part of the iNua Collection. “We have also created a new room in the spa, with a private and peaceful adjoining room, where our clients' loved ones can wait.”

Education and training

As cancer care treatments can be quite specialised, education and training for therapists is important. “The training required to perform spa services on someone going through cancer – and after cancer – is quite different to the training courses professionals in our industry are used to,” explains Louise O’Loughlin, Irish educator for Oncology Training International.

“When it comes to oncology aesthetics, each client is completely unique, and a different service may be required for two people with the same type of cancer. Therefore, we don’t learn the service as such – instead we learn about the cancer, the treatment the person is having or has had, and its side-effects. Then we can adapt any service that we are qualified in to suit that client.”

“We have four senior therapists trained to look after clients going through cancer, or those who are in remission,” says Armstrong. “We’ve also provided the rest of the team with some relevant knowledge, so they are aware of how to handle a situation and are able to refer a client to a senior and trained therapist.”

“We only have senior therapists trained in spa cancer care, and they have been performing these treatments for more than 10 years,” says Stewart. “We will only perform a spa cancer care treatment on a client with written consent from their oncologist. Once we get that, a full consultation is done and special room arrangements are made. There are many factors that would not seem significant to regular clients that will matter to our cancer care guests. For instance, we need to use products that don't contain any aggravating ingredients; the room should not be scented; and, as skin can often be compromised, soft materials must be used, along with a light touch from the therapist.”

“The room needs to be spacious, comfortable and clean for the client, providing them with safety and reassurance,” adds Armstrong. “And the therapist should never work on a client if they are not feeling 100%, as the clients going through treatment have compromised immune systems.”

Therapist traits

Cancer care is also an area that requires a certain type of therapist. “All therapists by their nature are giving, but it takes a very special therapist to do cancer care treatments,” notes Stewart. “There is an emotional toll, but it’s a job that is hugely fulfilling as there is no greater way of giving back than giving to those who need it most, when they need it most.”

'When it comes to oncology aesthetics, each client is completely unique, and a different service may be required for two people with the same cancer'

“The therapist needs to be both strong and comforting,” says Devaney. “We see many clients that are extremely ill, but we need to remember that when our clients come to us, they don’t need to be reminded that they are not well. They are in the spa to escape this, and we need to ensure that we give them an excellent treatment that encourages rest and calmness, and helps to relieve pain.”

“Oncology aesthetics training is not for everyone, but if a therapist has compassion and empathy, is willing to stick to what they have been taught, and seek help when needed, they are more than capable of providing cancer care services,” says O’Loughlin.

“Many will already be doing it actually – the extra knowledge will just help. On an emotional level, it can have it moments, but a huge part of the training is how to deal with this in a professional way that protects both the therapist and the client. We have a support group for all OTItrained professionals, where we can share our experiences and emotions.”

Client demand

Meanwhile, investing in this area is guaranteed to meet client demand. “We get so many enquiries from clients who are going through cancer, or have had cancer, looking for guidance on what treatments they can and can’t have,” says Armstrong. “So it is really important to be educated in this area so you are able to advise clients and offer them support, instead of refusing to treat them.

“In the Chill Spa, we don’t have set cancer treatments – we discreetly recommend a treatment that is both suitable and safe for them, and can be tailored to suit any stage of their journey. Our menu features treatments with a purple ribbon next to them – we recommend these for anyone who is healing from cancer.”

“Statistics predict that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime,” notes O'Loughlin. “That is half of our clientele. Unless spas want to cut their client base in half, they need to be able to offer safe cancer services for everyone.”