Cancer Survivors’ Work and Financial Concerns
Cancer survivors may struggle to pay for medical care and are more likely to declare bankruptcy than people without a cancer history. They also face work-related concerns because of their cancer experience. Although many survivors return to work, about one-third cannot work at all or have less ability to work due to late and long-term effects of cancer, including mental and physical health problems.
Ways to Address Work and Financial Concerns
To help address financial problems and make the return to work easier, you can learn more about—
- Changes in health care in the United States and options for affordable health insurance.
- Ways your employer may be able to help, like a non-traditional work schedule, employee assistance programs, and options for employees to donate unused paid time off to sick coworkers.
- The Family and Medical Leave Act and short-term disability leave.
Related Research
- Mental and physical health–related quality of life among U.S. cancer survivors
- Current depression among adult cancer survivors
- Medical costs and productivity losses of cancer survivors
- Lost productivity and burden of illness in cancer survivors with and without other chronic conditions
- For working-age cancer survivors, medical debt and bankruptcy create financial hardships
- Financial hardship associated with cancer in the United States
- Page last reviewed: May 30, 2017
- Page last updated: April 20, 2016
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