According to Cancer and Careers' chief mission officer, Rebecca Nellis, the vast majority of cancer patients want to continue working after a cancer diagnosis. Therefore, it is essential for HR departments to ensure that employees working with cancer have everything they need to remain productive while working through treatment.

For many employees, that means maintaining healthcare benefits, but for most its also about maintaining a sense of normalcy. HR managers can play a huge role by helping employees make important decisions about when and how much to work, getting accommodations, understanding health insurance benefits and what information to share with coworkers, if any.

"For people who have cancer, continuing to work makes them feel like they are normal, life is normal, and this is just something they are dealing with on the side," says Laurel Pickering, president and CEO of the Northeast Business Group on Health in New York. "It's really helpful because it helps them feel like their diagnosis is not as disruptive and tragic as it could be." 

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