Hands-on: The Massage Table

October 25-31 is National Massage Therapy Awareness Week. This year, the AMTA teams with The World Skin Project to improve early detection of skin cancers. Massage therapists are encouraged to call attention to any abnormalities. A Houston man credits his weekly massage with the early detection and removal of a Stage I melanoma. His regular therapist noticed something out of the ordinary and urged him to see a dermatologist. Now he's healthy and grateful. Clients and therapists: Compare suspicious spots against this checklist.

You Can't Be Too Aware
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Educate yourself about risk factors and self-examination here. You are your own best "first line of defense."

Soothe the Side Effects
Massage is an effective therapy for breast cancer survivors suffering from lymphedema, a disconcerting swelling of the arm brought on by lymph node removal.