Hi there @PamelaP,
I am so sorry that you had such a horrid experience, massage is indeed beneficial to people at all stages of cancer. The tumour and treatment sites shouldn't be touched and I believe if you have lymphoedema, you should seek out someone who is qualified in lymphatic massage but otherwise you likely would have been fine.
I cannot speak for them, but nor am I aware of any mandatory education for therapists. There are however, some massage therapists who have taken specific specialist training in massage for cancer.
We have a publication about massage and cancer, that I think you will find useful. You can download it in PDF format here. If you would like a physical copy, please send me a private message and I will arrange to have one sent out to you.
Kind Regards,
Kate
Online Community Manager
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