The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 4 of Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future by Nancy Keene, Wendy Hobbie & Kathy Ruccione, copyright 2000. To order books, call (800) 998-9938. Permission is granted to print and distribute this excerpt for noncommercial use as long as the above source is included. The information in this article is meant to educate and should not be used as an alternative for professional medical care.
The population of adults who have survived childhood cancer is growing at a rapid rate. It was estimated that in the year 2000, 1 in every 640 young adults was a cancer survivor. Thousands of survivors are staying well, growing up, graduating from high school or college, and successfully entering the workforce. Survivors of childhood cancer are educators, sports figures, radio announcers, doctors, social workers, dancers, lawyers, receptionists, and workers of all types.
Work fulfills many needs for adults: financial security, health insurance, self-worth. Despite their numbers, some survivors still face job discrimination. Cancer survivors' right to work is better protected than ever before by federal and state laws that protect employment rights. However, a cancer history can still create barriers to finding, keeping, or changing jobs.
