Managing Scar Tissue
If you’re recovering from cancer surgery, you may be experiencing scar tissue that affects your comfort, mobility, or appearance. These tips can help you minimize and manage scarring.
Caring for Scaring
Healing from cancer surgeries involves both physical and emotional challenges. Managing scar tissue is an important part of your recovery journey.
BEFORE SURGERY:
- If you are prone to keloids, ask your surgeon how this can be best managed with medication, topical treatments or strategic scar placement.
- It is okay to be concerned about scarring and to advocate for yourself!
AFTER SURGERY:
- Follow care instructions from your surgeon to keeping the surgical site clean.
- Once approved by your surgeon (approximately one month after surgery), you can start massaging the scar using either a beauty oil or scar reducing oil.
- Silicone scar sheets can help improve healing.
- Don’t wear clothing that compresses the scar for at least 4-6 weeks after surgery. If that makes wearing a regular bra difficult, try a tube top, tank top, or leisure bra to provide support if needed.
- Wait at least one year after all treatments are done before getting any nipple or decorative tattoos.
Physical Discomfort
It can be discouraging to still feel pain, swelling, tightness, sensitivity or a restricted range of motion after completing cancer treatment. For some people, discomfort may last far past their expected recovery time from surgery or radiation.
Prolonged Discomfort
Prolonged discomfort may be a build-up of scar tissue inside the body, typically around the breast, chest or shoulder area.
Scaring can cause the surrounding tissue to become denser and less elastic and result in restricted movement and/or pain. Some patients describe it as feeling “sticky” or “like Velcro” when they try moving the affected area.
Easing Discomfort
You may want to consider adding a physiotherapist or massage therapist who specializes in caring for breast cancer patients to your care team.
Talk to your primary care team about your concerns and mention this possibility. If you find your medical team resistance to these suggestions, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself.
Physiotherapy or massage therapy is done on the chest, breast and/or shoulders to loosen and soften tissue.
Your provider may suggest techniques such as:
Myofascial release
Deep friction massage
Cupping therapy
Remember to…
Talk to your surgeon or oncologist to ensure that enough recovery time has passed before booking an appointment with a physio or massage therapist.
What healthcare professionals provide care for scar tissue?
Typically, it will be a physiotherapist or massage therapist who will have specialized expertise and experience working with breast cancer patients.
Refer to the Society for Oncology Massage and Canadian Physiotherapy Association to learn more and access a directory.
Your provincial Lymphedema Association can also be a great resource for therapists familiar with breast-cancer related side effects.
Some healthcare professionals use the term Cancer Rehabilitation to refer to their services that help manage the common side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. This can be a great search term when looking for professionals in your area.
Questions to ask Professionals:
Are you a licensed Healthcare provider registered with the provincial college?
Are you experienced in treating breast cancer patients?
Do you provide techniques I can do at home?
Are these services covered by provincial healthcare?
Are they covered by private medical insurance?
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