Cancer patients also suffer work crisis

Almost six out of 10 workers with cancer have had to make drastic changes to their working lives.

Every year in the UK 106,000 people of working age are diagnosed with cancer, with many having to juggle jobs, treatment and the effects of the disease.

Research by Macmillan Cancer Support found that 57% of people with cancer have been forced to leave work or study, change their role or cut their hours. The poll of more than 1,000 people, who have cancer or have had it in the past, found that seven out of 10 have seen their income fall by 50% on average. Yet eight out of 10 have not received any advice about the effects of cancer on their career.

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan, said that “every political party must ensure that all working-age cancer patients are offered return-to-work support as part of a complete after-care programme designed to help them manage the long-term effects of treatment and get their life back to normal”.