Cancer and Careers is fortunate to have a solid group of partners in the cancer community, with whom we work closely to bring our collective services and support to patients, survivors and caregivers across the country.

One key organization in that pool of trusted resources is the National Cancer Legal Services Network (NCLSN), which comprises more than 30 programs aimed at promoting access to healthcare and increasing the availability of legal services for people living with cancer.

As if being diagnosed with cancer isn’t tough enough, many of those people also face legal issues at some point — anything from discrimination in the workplace and challenges accessing health insurance to losing their job and going into debt. According to a recent article in The Huffington Post, “27 percent [of cancer survivors] reported at least one financial difficulty and 37 percent reported needing to modify their work lives due to cancer.”

It’s important that people living with cancer know what their rights are and that information and assistance are available. For some, that alone can be empowering — and can make the road ahead seem less daunting. In fact, as the HuffPost Impact piece points out, results from a 2006 study of patients who received help from LegalHealth indicate that for 75 percent of them, “legal assistance reduced stress.” Similarly, 50 percent claimed that “receiving legal assistance had positive ramifications on their families and loved ones.”

If you or someone you know is living with cancer and has legal questions or needs advice, Cancer and Careers, NCLSN and our other Community Partners are here to help. Please reach out or consult our Resource Database.

For specific information, see our Legal & Financial section — in particular, “Your Legal Rights in the Workplace.” — and our Resource Database