The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) has updated its guidelines on the use of heat during touch treatments and holistic wellness practices for patients with cancer based on a review of current research.

The SATCC was set up in 2020 by Sue Harmsworth, founder of ESPA, to unite training providers in the UK and Ireland in offering a national standard of care for consumers experiencing cancer, based on scientific evidence (see www.spabusiness.com/SATCC).

The revised advice has come from Anna Campbell, a professor at Edinburgh Napier University, who has spent 25 years in the field of exercise oncology.

New guidelines

• The safe upper limit for heat is 42°C (107.6°F)
• Some people undergoing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy should avoid the use of thermal facilities, including hot tubs, steamrooms and saunas where heat cannot be individually controlled
  
  
• In touch therapy treatments, heat up to 42°C is seen as safe. But heated tools, such as hot stones, shells and poultices should be move continuously and not left in one place
  
  
• Clients at risk of lymphoedema – who have had lymph nodes removed/have received radiation targeting lymph areas – should avoid all direct heat on affected limbs. Indirect heat treatments should also be avoided for these clients for three years after cancer interventions
  
  
• Direct heat therapy should be avoided on recently radiated skin or sites with implanted devices, such as peripherally inserted central catheter lines
  
  
• Chemotherapy can induce areas of impaired sensation/neuropathy, causing pain, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. These areas should be avoided during spa treatments

Empowering therapists
Campbell, says: “It’s important that therapists and wellbeing practitioners continue to develop their practice based on current evidence to provide a safe and effective service.”

Harmsworth adds: “The importance of holistic care for cancer patients is essential for supporting people on a human level during and beyond medical treatment.

“The more knowledge with which we can empower therapists, wellbeing practitioners, and patients themselves, the better.”