Cancer survivors at work: job problems and illegal discrimination

Approximately 25% of the five million people in the United States with a cancer history experience disparate treatment in employment solely because of their medical histories. Many employers do not realize that more than half of the people diagnosed with cancer in 1988 in the United States will overcome their illness, that cancer is not contagious, and that cancer survivors have relatively the same productivity rates as other workers. Decisions to deny employment opportunities to cancer survivors that are based on misconceptions about cancer instead of the individual's ability to perform the job may violate the survivor's legal rights. Discrimination against individuals with a history of cancer, who are qualified for jobs, violates most federal and state laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on actual or perceived disabilities. Health professionals, as well as survivors themselves, must take action on three fronts to combat cancer-based discrimination: public and professional education, individual and group advocacy, and appropriate use of legal remedies.