Managing Career and Cancer

Survey

To assess the impact of cancer on careers and raise further awareness about the Breakaway from Cancer initiative, Amgen in collaboration with the NCCS and TWC developed a nationwide survey of cancer survivors and caregivers. Results of the survey indicate one in five cancer patients say they missed a scheduled treatment due to a work-related conflict — and, of those who skipped treatments, 50 percent say they missed or postponed three or more times. The survey findings reveal this concerning statistic, while at the same time demonstrate strong support from employers of both cancer patients and caregivers.

The majority say their employers were supportive during this time (75% among patients and 79% among caregivers). Only about one-in-ten from either group indicate that their employer was unsupportive. For this reason, it’s not surprising that just over two-thirds of patients and caregivers feel their job helped them maintain emotional stability.

• Most patients and caregivers will admit that cancer does have some impact on their ability to do their job – roughly a third of patients say there was no real impact (35%), while another third admitted to some impact (35%), and around a fourth said the impact was major (27%).

• Less than a quarter of caregivers (22%) said that being a caregiver had no real impact on their ability to do their job, with nearly half (48%) admitting some impact and a fourth (28%) saying their caregiver duties had a major impact on their ability to do their job.

More details on the survey results can be found here:

Overview of Key Findings
2006 National Survey of Cancer Patients/Survivors and Caregivers

Fact Sheet
Nationwide Cancer and Careers Survey Findings

Other Resources

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the employment provisions of the ADA. The EEOC provides a question-and-answer document titled About Cancer in the Workplace addressing particular disabilities in the workplace. It explains how the ADA might apply to job applicants and employees who have or had cancer.