title: Addressing the employment-related needs of cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasingly, people diagnosed with cancer are surviving and continuing to participate in the work force. This trend brings with it new issues regarding survivors' employment-related needs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The research team's objective is to explore cancer survivors' employment-related needs and supports with the ultimate goal of developing a training intervention for them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected via an online survey. This article reports on the findings from the pilot stage of the study, which included 32 respondents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many cancer survivors experience cancer symptoms at work, but do not tend to seek reasonable accommodations. Levels of awareness of possible programmatic and legal supports are low. Respondents reported that neither employers nor medical practitioners are primary sources of information regarding their individual employment-related concerns. Instead, they relied on general information from cancer advocacy organizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivors, employers, and practitioners who treat cancer patients could benefit from training resources about how survivors might address their employment-related needs.
authors.affiliation: Disability Research to Practice Program, SEDL, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Texas Neuro Rehab Center, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Minda M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Markle
authors.affiliation: Southwest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center, Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Vinh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Southwest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center, Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010080:Oxazoles; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011725:Pyridines; D012944:Social Support; D017741:Survivors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017132:Workplace / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
chemical_list: D010080:Oxazoles; D011725:Pyridines; C568730:texaline
keywords: Americans with Disabilities Act; Disability and cancer; reasonable accommodations; work