News

Janice Koh as told to Chandreyee Ray - May 2023

Award-winning Singaporean actress Janice Koh was diagnosed with oral cancer 10 months ago. She first noticed an ulcer on her tongue that wasn't going away. After two surgeries, more than half her tongue has been removed, complicating her ability to speak clearly.

Julie Calhoun - May 2023

Linda O'Brien continued to work full-time during her treatment for breast cancer. In October 2019, O'Brien had shingles due to her weakened immune system. In order to protect a pregnant co-worker, she asked to work from home until she recovered. Two days later she was fired.

Andrew Goldman - May 2023

Georgie Johnston landed her dream job as a nurse after years of studying and volunteering. A few months later she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, requiring chemotherapy and a mastectomy.

RaleighNC.gov - May 2023

Raleigh, NC firefighter John Nickerson returned to Station 17 after fifteen months away treating testicular germ cell cancer. He went through two surgeries, chemotherapy and three stem cell transplants. While his treatment was not easy, Nickerson said, "The hardest part was being away from my family and my job."

Tom Metcalf and Francine Lacqua - April 2023

Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan is returning to the office after undergoing five months of treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. During his time out of the office, he continued to work remotely.

Alexandra del Rosario - April 2023

The Young and the Restless star Eric Braeden disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis last week. “I was taken aback, but I was determined to deal with it,” he said. While he has taken the time to "slow down" and "listen to my body more", he has decided to continue working during his treatment, saying that he finds that work distracts him.

David Artavia - April 2023

Pam Huff, the first female nightly news anchor in Alabama, has not missed more than a day or two of work at ABC 33/40 since starting treatment for breast cancer in August of 2022. To mask the side effects of her chemotherapy, she has worn a wig and false eyelashes during each broadcast. But last week, she decided to go on air with her natural hair.

Yi-Jin Yu - April 2023

Dr. Lauren Juyia is a practicing gynecologist who discovered a mass on herself that turned out to be stage 4 colon cancer. She continued to work throughout her chemo treatment to take her mind off her own cancer.

Karen Brown - March 2023

Frank Marchand has been a plumber for over 47 years, most of those years spent self-employed. Following a diagnosis of Stage 4 colon cancer, Marchand has continued to work, with the exception of brief recoveries from surgery, throughout his whole treatment.

Vicky Santos - March 2023

In January of 2020, Kara Skrubis was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer. She decided to take a year off of school for treatment which included an above-the-knee amputation and nine months of chemotherapy.

Cary Clack - February 2023

U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro underwent surgery this week for cancer found in his small intestine. In a statement he said, "My prognosis is good. I expect to be home recovering in Texas for several weeks before returning to Washington to continue my work on behalf of the people of my hometown, San Antonio."

Grace Dean - February 2023

Krystal Garmon has undergone cancer treatment twice. Following a recent job virtual interview, the interviewers did not realize she was still on the call and started saying things like "She had a head cap on, did she know she was in an interview?" and "She would look more professional if she showed her hair. I can't tell what color her hair is."

Liz Scherer - February 2023

CAC's executive director Rebecca V. Nellis was interviewed to remind everyone that disclosure is a choice and that "it may change over time, in the evolution of how you see yourself, how your treatment is going, what you need, or how your workplace is reacting to what you have or haven't shared."

Wolf Depner - February 2023

British Columbia's Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Selina Robinson disclosed her cancer has returned. She has no plans on leaving her job. “I have no idea what else I would do except work."

Kimberlee Speakman - February 2023

Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby returned to the studio to teach her first class since undergoing 12 weeks of chemotherapy to treat her breast cancer.

Cancer and Careers - January 2023

Cancer and Careers' executive director Rebecca V. Nellis was an invited guest on the Business Group on Health’s podcast.

Cindy Boren - January 2023

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has begun treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. "I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible."

Ginger Gibson - January 2023

Senator Bob Casey announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will continue to work while undergoing treatment.

Dareh Gregorian - December 2022

Congressman Jamie Raskin announced last week he has been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. Raskin described the diagnosis as "a serious but curable form of cancer".

Rebecca V. Nellis - December 2022

CAC's executive director Rebecca V. Nellis spoke recently with Cancer Today Magazine answering the question "I’m unable to balance my full-time job and caring for my loved one with cancer. What options do I have if I need to take some time away from work?"

Kumi Tucker - December 2022

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Like many prostate cancer patients, McLaughlin was first alerted to a concern over a high PSA level in routine blood work. Following another test a few weeks later and a biopsy, his doctor confirmed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Laurie McGinley - December 2022

Dr. Monica M. Bertagnolli has spent her career researching and treating cancer, with the last ten year spent as the chief of surgical oncology at Dana-Farber Bringham Cancer Center in Boston. In October she was offered the job of Director of the National Cancer Institute, shortly followed by a breast cancer diagnosis of her own a month later.

Scott Gleeson - November 2022

Famed college basketball announcer Dick Vitale returned to the mic this week after missing most of last season due to cancer treatment. Diagnosed with melanoma and lymphoma, he continued to work through treatment at the start of last season, but had to stop when he lost his signature voice.

Amalie Benjamin - November 2022

John Grzelcyk started undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, a diagnosis he did not disclose at work. For 30 days he would walk 20 minutes from Boston's TD Garden arena to Mass General Hospital for radiation treatments, and then back to work when he was finished.

Robert Boyd - October 2022

Following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, Bridgette Bello asked herself "What do I want my legacy to be?" This led her to pursuing a lifelong dream and starting a magazine of her own.

Mark Smith - October 2022

Rhian Moore was two-years in remission for melanoma when she felt a lump under her arm, which was biopsied by her doctor. A few days later, while presenting on Zoom, she got a call from her doctor telling her she had stage three melanoma.

Staff - October 2022

Buffy Shelton has been running a daycare from her home since 1994. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she had to decid whether to find a care team locally in Columbus, or drive an hour each way to specialists in Indianapolis. Having her surgery and radiation treatments locally allowed her to continue working without much interruption.

Katie Couric - September 2022

Katie Couric disclosed today in an article on her website that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her husband died of colon cancer in 1998, Couric has been a vocal advocate of cancer awareness, and has long advocated for regular, early screenings.

Nardine Saad - September 2022

RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté disclosed her cancer diagnosis on Instagram this past weekend. While taking a break from a busy touring schedule for treatment, she expressed excitement to get back to work saying she is "ready to get back to the stage again".

Natasha Dye - September 2022

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2016, right before he was supposed to start his dream job as a co-host on FS1. In a recent interview, Sharpe said, "I didn't want this opportunity to go away"