Can professional work serve as support – including therapeutic support – during cancer treatment? How can we create a work environment that doesn’t exclude but supports?

Employers play a crucial role in building a culture of support for individuals fighting cancer. They can offer flexible work arrangements, provide empathy and communication training for managers, and ensure access to psychological assistance or mentoring programs.

Cancer is not a sentence. Thanks to significant progress in early detection, modern treatment methods, and effective care, prognoses for oncology patients are much more optimistic today. The latest research and data show that over 20 million people in Europe have overcome cancer, with 3.5 million new cases diagnosed each year.

An oncology patient at work

Can professional work also be a form of support—therapeutic even—during cancer treatment?

These questions were at the heart of the conference “Oncology and Hemato-oncology: Prevention, Treatment, and the Role of Work in the Lives of People Living with Cancer,” held today June 4 in Warsaw as part of the 2nd edition of the Health 360 Congress (Kongres Zdrowie 360) organized by Związek Przedsiębiorców i Pracodawców / Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers.

Małgorzata Bogusz, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, Rapporteur for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, as well as Founder of the Institute for Social Policy Development, took part in the abovementioned panel.

She emphasized the importance of how we talk about cancer — both in public discourse and within companies — highlighting the need to replace fear with hope.

“We need to create conditions that allow people with cancer to continue working, to make the most of their potential, and to support their personal and professional growth”, – she stressed.

Ms Bogusz also drew attention to two key rights:

➤ The “right to be forgotten”, which protects cancer survivors from discrimination, for example when applying for a loan.

➤The “right to be remembered”, which ensures that individuals with a history of cancer are provided with decent working conditions adapted to their needs.

An empowered patient is the foundation of a well-functioning society.

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Can professional work serve as support – including therapeutic support – during cancer treatment? How can we create a work environment that doesn’t exclude but supports?