Cancer and Careers and Genentech have partnered with Young Survival Coalition (YSC) and The Wellness Community to bring the “Balancing Cancer and Careers” seminar to San Francisco.
The program, introduced in 2008 to cancer survivors, healthcare providers and caregivers across the U.S., features local doctors, cancer survivors and legal experts speaking to the challenges that women with cancer may face in the workplace.
Topics covered include addressing their diagnosis with coworkers, navigating HR and disability payments and choosing treatment options that may allow them to spend less time away from work.
“After a cancer diagnosis, many women either choose to or need to continue working,” said Kate Sweeney, executive director, Cancer and Careers.
“These women are then faced with the challenge of balancing treatment and their careers. We’re pleased to support them in meeting this challenge by offering resources and an expert panel to provide a forum for questions, answers, discussion and information-sharing,” she said.
According to a study published this year in the journal Cancer, working women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who are treated with chemotherapy are nearly twice as likely as those not receiving chemotherapy to have a greater risk of leaving work, retiring or going on long-term disability over the following year.
“It is important to me to partner with my patients to find a treatment regimen that will minimally disrupt their lives,” said Hope S. Rugo, M.D., UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“For some women, oral chemotherapy may be a better choice than intravenous therapy at certain points during their treatment course, as the intravenous therapy requires them to spend more time at the hospital undergoing treatment,” she said.
“We’re proud to offer this important program to women who have been diagnosed with and undergone treatment for cancer,” said Marcia Stein, chief executive officer, Young Survival Coalition. “The seminars provide women with valuable information that can facilitate their transition back to work, which is a critical issue to women facing a cancer diagnosis.”
About the Program
In addition to Ms. Sweeney and Dr. Rugo, other featured guests include:
– Joanna Morales, Esq., Director, Cancer Legal Resource Center
– Trisha Ekstrom, the Bay Area chapter of YSC
– Margaret Stauffer, The Wellness Community San Francisco East Bay affiliate
Attendees received information on national resources that may help them adjust to maintaining work while undergoing cancer treatment. Additional topics will cover:
– Creating an action plan to address colleagues
– Discussing effective treatment options with your doctor
– Legal rights for cancer patients in the workplace
– Review of a recently updated Congressional bill that expands the definition of disability
For additional information and to obtain resources presented during the seminar, please call (866) 541-1972, (925) 933-0107 or visit CancerandCareers.org.
