Cancer and work: how should a patient handle their job?

• Oncologist Marlene Hernández, of IntraCare Center, advises telling your employer, knowing your employment rights and asking your doctor how the treatment will affect your work.

Santo Domingo. A cancer diagnosis raises questions about the working future of the person affected, since the illness can affect productivity and emotional wellbeing. Fatigue, anxiety and uncertainty are just some of the challenges they face. 

Dr Marlene Hernández, clinical oncologist at IntraCare Center, points out that it is important to tell your boss and colleagues about the situation in order to organise responsibilities better and receive support. 

Before speaking to the employer, Dr Hernández recommends asking the doctor about the possible effects of the treatment on performance at work.  

“Find out about the possible side effects and how to manage them at work. Be honest about how much time off you might need, but bear in mind that your situation may change”, Dr Hernández suggests. 

The specialist stresses that it is essential to know your employment rights, such as temporary sick leave, protection against unfair dismissal and adjustments in the workplace. 

Whether you can carry on working will depend on several factors, such as the type of treatment, the nature of the job and the patient’s health. It is important to talk to the doctor about whether to carry on working, work from home or take a break. 

In the case of IntraCare Center, working at home is an option since the organisation has the Tu Quimio en Casa programme, which makes it possible for the patient to receive treatment from the comfort of their own home.  

Intracare Center offers high-quality chemotherapy, ensuring that patients experience fewer adverse reactions and therefore enjoy a better quality of life.  

Thanks to its advanced systems, cutting-edge technology and rigorous quality and biosafety protocols, the centre has minimised human error during the chemotherapy mixing process, which ensures more precise and safer administration of the treatment. This allows patients to maintain their quality of life and to carry on with their daily activities normally. 

Strategies for managing stress at work 

Dr Hernández recognises that stress at work can be a challenge during treatment, but there are strategies for coping with it. If the job requires physical effort or the treatment affects the patient’s health, the specialist suggests asking for temporary sick leave. Stress at work can harm recovery, so resting properly is key. 

One of the greatest challenges is discrimination at work. Dr Hernández makes clear that, although it is difficult, it can be dealt with. 

She also advises taking short breaks during the day and adjusting the pace of work according to the side effects of the treatment, organising tasks well to avoid becoming overloaded. 

About IntraCare Center 

It is a health centre specialising in oncology services, palliative care and 
outpatient and home chemotherapy, as well as the distribution of cytostatic 
medicines, with a team committed to improving the quality of life of 
adult and paediatric cancer patients, through innovative equipment and technological 
systems operating to the highest standards of quality and biosafety.