Let’s start off on the right foot
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“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”
—Jim Valvano
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The skinny
Our health can change at any moment. Employers provide crucial support to navigate the unknown.
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The fight continues.
At this moment, nearly 6 million cancer survivors are in the workforce. Today is World Cancer Day, and while the disease is less deadly than it used to be, a diagnosis is still devastating, affecting half of men and a third of women.
1,670 deaths per day.
Cancer hits close to home for many of us, taking lives both young and old. As with many health conditions though, lifestyle behaviors and differences in age, sex, education, income, and location all complicate how easy it is for someone to detect cancer early and access treatment.
Got a light?
Lung cancer is the deadliest of all diagnoses, showcasing the great impact socio-economic factors have on life expectancy. Approximately a third of individuals without a high school diploma or equivalent have smoked cigarettes, compared to 3% of individuals with a graduate degree.
#CloseTheCareGap
Though we live in a time of awe-inspiring advancements in cancer prevention and treatment, the equity gap costs lives. Discrimination, confusion, and income are all barriers to battling cancer. Employers can do their part to close the gap in a variety of ways.
Desk potato.
Cigarettes, junk food, slouching on the couch. Sure, watching three episodes of The Last of Us might sound like the perfect way to decompress after a stressful workday, but poor lifestyle choices lead to diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal issues, and you guessed it, cancer. It’s no wonder 85% of employees want their company to be more proactive in boosting employee health, wellbeing, and healthy habits.
SECURE-ity
Financial stability is a critical component to combat any severe health issue. As if the stress of potentially fatal news wasn’t hard enough, many cancer patients miss work, rack up debt, and cross their fingers. Having an emergency savings, like those provided for in the SECURE Act 2.0, can be a lifeboat on an ocean of hardship.
Help, I need sombody.
Not just anybody… Digital nurses and care navigation services are transforming the survivor journey. A hefty 33% of cancer patients lack information about their treatment plan. For employees who are struggling with scary diagnoses, expert guidance can make all the difference in confidently accessing care, following a specified treatment plan, and surviving cancer.
Social Corner
