Employment discrimination against cancer survivors: multidisciplinary interventions

Approximately 25% of the five million cancer survivors in the United States encounter barriers to employment solely because of their cancer histories. This discrimination is primarily rooted in erroneous stereotypes about cancer. Because cancer-based employment discrimination has legal, social, emotional, and economic impact on survivors, interventions must encompass legal and psychosocial resources. While state and federal laws prohibit certain actions that deprive survivors of job opportunities and health insurance, legal and psychosocial resources must be developed and made available to cancer survivors to help them overcome barriers to equal employment opportunities.