This year’s theme for World Cancer Day, “United by Unique,” recognizes that each person facing cancer travels a deeply personal path. From the outside, it’s easy to focus on the numbers—the rising incidence of new cancer cases each year or the mortality rates of specific types of the disease, for example. Yet behind those statistics are individuals grappling with profound emotional challenges from the moment they learn they have cancer. For employers, consultants, and health plans, acknowledging this reality is an opportunity to improve mental health support and foster greater well-being for employees and their families.
The emotional burden people carry with a cancer diagnosis
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can bring enormous emotional distress that stems not only from the physical reality of the disease but also from the grim representation of cancer in popular culture. Unlike people with diabetes, heart disease, or other conditions, those with cancer are commonly described as “victims” fighting a “battle,” which can reduce them to their disease and also suggest they’re to blame if they “lose” their fight. And unlike other diseases, cancer is often framed in terms of mortality and statistical odds, placing the emphasis on death.
The way we talk about cancer can contribute to sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, shame, isolation, and loneliness. Many people with cancer find themselves overwhelmed by constant worries and existential questions that have no immediate answers. How long will I live? Will I get through this? How will I afford treatment? Daily routines and expectations that seemed stable can suddenly feel upended, and good sleep can be suddenly elusive, which can make everything feel worse. And the financial strain of cancer treatment can actually make things worse: The financial pressures of living with cancer are associated with decreased treatment adherence, increased emotional distress, and a lower quality of life.
Work can provide stability and a sense of normalcy for employees with cancer
For those whose cancer diagnosis doesn’t prevent them from working, employment can be a significant source of support and stability. Employer-sponsored health plans can reduce emotional stress by alleviating the financial burden of treatment, for example. And simply participating in the workplace can promote a sense of normalcy for a person going through cancer treatment or recovering.
Additionally, employers offer a variety of programs and resources that offer support to employees throughout their cancer journey:
- Cancer centers of excellence, offered by some large employers, help give employees peace of mind by enabling them to access high‑quality cancer care.
- Traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs), offered by nearly all employers, provide employees with access to short‑term therapy or counseling services.
- An employee with cancer can get work accommodations and protection from discrimination through the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as job security through the Family and Medical Leave Act should they need to take a leave of absence for treatment or recovery.
But employees need more ongoing support throughout the cancer journey
These workplace and clinical resources provide a critical foundation of support, but more is needed to address the ongoing emotional and mental health needs of employees with cancer, which begin at diagnosis and can last well past treatment.
- According to the CDC, up to three-quarters of people with cancer experience symptoms of psychological distress, which can affect their overall well-being and health outcomes. Yet only one-third or fewer have talked to their provider about their needs, and fewer have received treatment for distress.
- A survey of more than 650 cancer patients with mental health concerns revealed many of the barriers to mental health support, including difficulty getting a mental health appointment right away (34%) due to provider shortages, inability to get mental health support whenever it’s needed (25%), lack of easy access to mental health specialists (23%), concerns about the financial burden of mental health care (30%), worries about being seen as weak (16%), and a desire to solve problems on their own (45%).
- Lack of awareness or understanding of their organization’s EAP, along with navigation challenges and privacy concerns, are common barriers keeping employees from utilizing available mental health services.
Even with job protections, insurance coverage, and access to high‑quality medical care, employees with cancer often navigate daily fear, uncertainty, physical side effects, and work‑related stress without the emotional or mental health support they need. Lacking that support, they may struggle to focus at work, make decisions, or navigate day-to-day responsibilities. Their employers may incur indirect costs of absenteeism and/or presenteeism on top of the high medical claims costs associated with cancer care.
Filling the mental health support gap for people with cancer
By focusing in three key areas, health plans, consultants, and employers can promote the well-being of people with cancer and also help control claims costs linked to cancer care.
1. Cancer-specific, evidence-based digital mental health programs
Accurately supporting mental health issues around cancer requires subject matter expertise, but few health systems offer specialized mental health support for cancer patients. Even where these programs exist, ongoing shortages of mental health providers make it difficult for patients to access timely, specialized support.
Digital mental health apps can fill this gap by making specialized programs, developed by clinical psychologists, accessible to employees anytime, anywhere.
For example, Calm Health’s Tools to Cope with Cancer is a 13-session digital program authored by board-certified clinical health psychologist Jennifer Kilkus, PhD, ABPP, who specializes in oncology and trauma-informed mindfulness facilitation. In this program, Dr. Kilkus offers evidence-based tools and insight from clinical psychology to support people with the physical and emotional toll of cancer.
2. Navigation support to help employees access mental health support
Although the EAP remains the cornerstone of most mental health strategies, employee utilization of EAP services remains low. One reason is that employees and dependents don’t know how to find their EAP or other employer-sponsored benefits when they need them.
One strategy is adopting digital mental health solutions that guide employees to the employer-sponsored resources available to them. By meeting people where they are and centralizing access to mental health resources, digital apps can facilitate employee engagement and improve utilization of mental health resources.
For example, Calm Health guides employees to their EAP, nurse line, and other mental health benefits based on their mental health screening results and self-reported goals and topics of interest. Employees access these resources directly from within the Calm Health app.
3. A broad range of mindfulness content to offer everyday relief
A meta-analysis of 28 randomized clinical trials with more than 3,000 participants found that mindfulness-based interventions were associated with reductions in the severity of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer up to six months later.
Calm Health offers an extensive library of mindfulness content—breathing exercises, meditations, wisdom, music, and Sleep Stories—to support a greater sense of clarity, calmness, resilience, and overall well-being.
A call to action on World Cancer Day
Supporting employees through the emotional realities of cancer requires more than traditional benefits—it calls for accessible, specialized, and engaging mental health resources that meet people where they are. By embracing evidence‑based digital mental health programs, simplifying navigation to existing support, and offering everyday mindfulness tools, employers, consultants, and health plans can support people who are psychologically burdened by cancer and foster a more resilient workforce.
