As cancer survival continues to improve globally, attention is increasingly shifting toward survivorship outcomes that extend beyond disease control. Employment has emerged as a contextual factor associated with health-related quality of life, a potentially important, yet underexplored, factor in survivorship and well-being. Worldwide, 47% of cancer patients are diagnosed before age 65, and employment has emerged as an important context for survivorship, intersecting with financial stability and health-related quality of life for many working-age survivors.
New research underway at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is examining a question that many cancer survivors confront during treatment and beyond: does continuing to work—or returning to work— support better health outcomes?
Led by oncologist Victoria Blinder, MD, MSc (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and Gina L. Mazza, PhD (Mayo Clinic), the team is conducting a scoping review of English-language studies published from 2000 to 2025 on employment and quality of life (QoL) among cancer survivors. Overall, the literature reviewed supports a positive association between employment status and QoL across multiple domains, while underscoring limits on causal interpretation. Findings support an association between sustained employment and better physical, emotional, and functional outcomes after cancer.
What the Evidence Suggests So Far
The research team conducted a large scoping review of English-language studies published between 2000 and 2025, so far identifying hundreds of articles examining cancer, employment, and quality of life. Of these, studies that met rigorous inclusion criteria for detailed analysis represented research conducted across 19 countries. QoL was assessed using validated instruments including SF-36/SF-12, EORTC QLQ-C30, EQ-5D, and FACT measures.
Of the studies that clearly defined employment status and reported its association with QoL, a majority reported a statistically significant positive association while some reported no statistically significant association—indicating a predominantly positive but not uniform pattern.
Several longitudinal studies illustrate the pattern of association between employment status and QoL outcomes. In one prospective cohort study with follow-up through five years post-diagnosis, employed survivors reported approximately 28% higher overall quality of life and nearly 29% higher physical functioning compared with non-employed survivors at five years. (source: Long-term employment status and quality of life after cancer: A longitudinal prospective cohort study from diagnosis up to and including 5 years post diagnosis - PMC)
In another study, focusing on survivors with primary central nervous system tumors, employed participants were approximately 3.7 times less likely to report moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and 2.4 times less likely to report moderate-to-severe anxiety symptoms. (source: Association of Employment Status With Symptom Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life in People Living With Primary CNS Tumors)
A Complex, Potentially Bidirectional Relationship
Importantly, the review highlights gaps in the existing literature. Few studies include repeated, long-term assessments capable of determining whether work directly improves quality of life or whether survivors with better health are more likely to continue working. Some studies suggest that higher quality of life predicts better subsequent work outcomes, while others show concurrent improvements in employment and well-being.
These patterns suggest a complex, potentially bidirectional relationship—one influenced not only by health status, but also by job demands, workplace flexibility, and access to accommodations.
“As both a researcher and a clinician, I’ve become convinced of the therapeutic role that working can play in cancer recovery for some patients,” said Dr. Blinder. “While every experience is different, continuing to work can be an important source of identity, stability, and well-being, and can have a positive impact both physically and emotionally.”
How Survivor Experiences Align With the Data
Population-based survey data provide important context for these research findings. According to the Cancer & Careers Harris Poll, conducted in the U.S. (2024) and across France, the United Kingdom, and Germany (2025), many adults who worked or are working through cancer treatment report that working helps or helped them cope, and that workplace support was important during treatment and recovery…
On average, 79% of those who worked through treatment in EMEA (France, UK and Germany) and 75% in the U.S. said that working helped them cope with their cancer experience. On average, 66% of those who worked through treatment in EMEA and 68% in the U.S. said workplace support had a positive impact on their recovery, and 58% of adults in EMEA who worked during treatment said workplace support and/or resources had a positive effect on their mental health.
Support from supervisors and colleagues emerged as especially important. On average, 80% of survivors in EMEA and 85% in the U.S. said supervisor support was critical to their ability to work after diagnosis, and 79% in EMEA and 81% in the U.S. said the same about colleague support. Seventy percent in both regions agreed that someone at work had a meaningful impact on their cancer experience, and 77% in EMEA and 78% in the U.S. agreed that employer support makes people more likely to thrive at work.
Why Work May Matter During Cancer Treatment
While financial necessity remains the most commonly cited reason for working during treatment (on average 50% in EMEA; 62% in the U.S.), many survivors point to psychological and social factors. Other commonly cited reasons include wanting life to feel as normal as possible (44% EMEA; 41% U.S.) and a sense of purpose (40% EMEA; 49% U.S.)
These motivations mirror themes observed in clinical research and help explain why employment may be linked to better health-related quality of life. These themes are consistent with hypotheses in the survivorship literature that structure, social connection, and continuity of identity may contribute to well-being. However, working conditions, flexibility, physical demands, and access to accommodations can materially shape whether work is experienced as supportive or burdensome.
Extending Research Into Practice
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Blinder conducts research about the factors that contribute to improved work outcomes in cancer patients and the barriers that different patient may face, most notably, disparities in access to work accommodations. To address this critical challenge, she is conducting an NIH-funded trial of an intervention designed to help women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer obtain relevant accommodations at work. Dr. Blinder has also worked closely with Cancer and Careers, a national nonprofit organization that supports individuals navigating cancer and also offers companies advice and training through facilitated panels, workshops for managers and colleagues, and policy guidance. Dr. Blinder has frequently been featured in the organization’s “Ask the Expert” series in English and Spanish, providing guidance on navigating work-related concerns during and after cancer treatment. This work aligns closely with her broader efforts to improve the lives of people with cancer by helping them maintain employment, preserve financial stability and access to benefits, and improve quality of life during treatment. Her research and patient-facing work underscore the importance of integrating employment considerations into cancer care and survivorship.
Research Status and Next Steps
The scoping review described above is currently underway and has been submitted for consideration for presentation at the upcoming IARC@60 Conference: Cancer Research into Action, hosted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Submission reflects the relevance and potential contribution of this work to ongoing discussions in cancer survivorship research.
Following conference review and feedback, the research team intends to submit the completed scoping review for formal peer-reviewed publication.
What Comes Next
Together, the emerging evidence from Dr. Blinder’s research and international survey data suggest that employment is more than an economic outcome for some people living with cancer, with implications for well-being and social functioning. As the number of working-age cancer survivors continues to grow, researchers emphasize the importance of understanding not just whether survivors work, but how working conditions, support, and flexibility shape health outcomes after cancer.
Although further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causality, the existing literature supports a positive association between employment status and QoL, while highlighting the need to better understand potential causal pathways and the role of workplace support and accommodations.