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Getting Back to Work After Cancer

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Last Modified: August 4, 2011

I had to stop working when I started cancer treatment. How can I get back into the work force, especially during this bad economic time? Will having a history of cancer really look bad for employment?

Carolyn Vachani, RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink Nurse Educator, responds:

Getting back to work can be very challenging. You want to be honest, but not at the cost of being offered the job! I have a few resources for you, this piece on OncoLink by Rodney Warner, survivor and lawyer, touches on some of the legal aspects to consider.

Cancer and Careers is a nonprofit group based in New York that provides all sorts of employment support for people with a cancer diagnosis- from the newly diagnosed to someone finished treatment and already back at work. Visit their website for lots of good information. They have some great resources for getting back to work and are hosting regular legal and career advice teleconferences covering your rights at work.

This question and answer was part of the OncoLink Brown Bag Chat Series. View the transcript from Finding the Cancer Resources You Need.