Cancer and work: Time for a new era of cancer care

The landscape of cancer is changing. At one time it was relatively rare to have a colleague with cancer; now more than half of employers have seen an increase in employees either living with cancer themselves, or supporting a loved one through it. The consequences are costly.

While cancer incidence rates are rising, scientific progress means more people are being diagnosed earlier. For instance, there’s been an 80% increase in cancer diagnoses in people under 50 over the past three decades. And with new treatments, survival rates are also increasing. 58% of people diagnosed with cancer now live more than 10 years beyond their diagnosis.

These combined forces have contributed to what’s known as the cancer care gap. It’s clear that we’ve entered a new era of employee healthcare, and in order to radically improve outcomes, we must:

1. Prevent cancers that are preventable (through education, awareness and screening)
2. Diagnose cancer earlier (through targeted risk assessments, screening and care navigation)
3. Ensure cancer treatment is well managed (through navigation, evidence-based support and rehabilitation)

What is the cancer care gap?

Cancer isn’t over when treatment ends. Individuals living with and beyond cancer often describe a sense of abandonment in the move to follow-up care, and very often lack support for the physical, psychological and practical symptoms resulting from cancer and its treatment. Employers are noticing care gaps across the entire cancer lifecycle, from prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation, to treatment and return to work, and also in support for carers.

The next generation of cancer support

Since the pandemic, virtual care has been rapidly adopted. But with each increasingly digitally-native generation comes a higher expectation of personalisation and convenience in cancer care. This is coupled with a massive growth in targeted employee benefits to address complex or chronic conditions such as mental health, menopause and diabetes, leading to an increased expectation for sensitive, effective support for cancer.

It is no longer enough to simply help employees navigate the maze of fragmented support available through the NHS, private healthcare providers or charities. To truly reduce the impact of cancer on employees and their families (as well as on employers) they need access to a wide range of cancer support services focused on recovery and rehabilitation.

“Modern cancer care for the three million people living with cancer is just as much about services outside of the hospital as it is about acute treatment”. 

– Macmillan, Caught in the Maze Report, 2021

Well-coordinated, multimodal therapy (delivered by nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and other cancer specialists) is the gold-standard; proven to accelerate return to work and prevent long-term complications. With virtual care, geographical barriers are dissolved and employees can reduce the time off needed to attend appointments. For instance, Perci Health’s impact report highlights that virtual care has saved their patients 40,120 km in travel.

Employers have begun to put pressure on providers of cancer support (and other chronic conditions) via employee benefits programmes, to be accountable for their clinical outcomes, as opposed to simply focusing on engagement or utilisation. We are on the cusp of a revolution in the long-term support we provide for cancer, but achieving it will require collaboration from the private, public and third sector, with progressive employers leading the charge.

Perci Health is the UK’s first virtual online cancer clinic, delivering your employees expert, personalised care – from prevention to early detection and rehabilitation. Read their inaugural Impact report, shedding light on the critical challenges faced by people living with and beyond cancer. Download it here>

To find out more about Perci Health, you can also visit Zest’s Marketplace page here.