Childhood cancer survivors face employment challenges as adults
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Study finds lower chances of employment and higher chances of health-related unemployment
Researchers studied the effects of health on employment among over 6,000 adults who were treated for cancer when younger than age 20. The scientists wanted to know how the health of childhood cancer survivors affected employment as they got older.
This study showed that over an average of 11 years, among childhood cancer survivors who were employed full-time:
- 21.3% of females and 14.5% of males were unemployed, switched to a part-time job, or stopped working
- Those who had chronic health conditions had more job changes
Improvements are needed in the workplace to help cancer survivors maintain employment.
What does this mean for you?
Take the steps you need to prevent or reduce the impact of your health condition on your daily life.
Steps you can take include:
- Talk to your health care team about health concerns you have.
- Get regular checkups and screenings suggested by your doctor and follow your care plan.
- Watch for symptoms of chronic conditions. Seek treatment for any symptoms you see.
- Seek out career training and services that can help you if you need rehabilitation or disability benefits.
- Understand your rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and workplace discrimination protections.
- Be familiar with U.S. laws that affect people with health problems.
Reference
Bhatt NS, Goodman P, Leisenring WM, Armstrong GT, Chow EJ, Hudson MM, Krull KR, Nathan PC, Oeffinger KC, Robison LL, Kirchhoff AC, Mulrooney DA. “Chronic Health Conditions and Longitudinal Employment in Survivors of Childhood Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2410731.