Huffington Post takes a look at eight decisions made by the US Courts of Appeal involving cancer that affirmed a grant of summary judgement -- a decision without a trial -- in favor of the employer when the employee claimed that disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) were violated.

The ADA prohibits disability based discrimination when an employer has 15 or more employees. The employee must demonstrate a disability, that they are otherwise qualified for the position in question, and that the exclusion from the position was solely because of the disability. The term disability is defined in a specific way under the ADA guidelines. It's always extremely important to consult with an attorney to best understand your rights and course of action.

To read about the court cases and get some highlighted observations from the decisions, click here.