Deciding On Whether To Work Through Cancer
- Guitarist Doug Aldrich, formerly a member of Whitesnake, known for their hit song “Here I Go Again,” is taking some time off from performing to undergo surgery in his fight against throat cancer.
- Throat cancer is a type of head and neck cancer where cancerous cells begin in the throat, voice box or tonsils. Some of the main risk factors for this disease include smoking, drinking alcohol, a diet lacking in fruits or vegetables, acid reflux disease and the human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Some people can still work and go through cancer treatment, but others, like Doug Aldrich may want to take a break from work and focus on getting better. What you can do will depend on your stage of cancer, your treatment, and how you feel.
- “We always encourage people to continue to work if they are able to,” says Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center. “I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.”
- If you’re able to work, you’ll be busy and you won’t be worrying all the time about how your treatment is going, Stapleton explains.
As Aldrich— who currently is a member of The Dead Daises and previously played with Whitesnake, Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, Bad Moon Rising and Revolution Saints—takes time off from his band’s upcoming European tour, guitarist Reb Beach will be filling in for him.
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They continued, “Moving forward, Doug will not be available for the next run and subsequently long-time good friend & band mate from the Whitesnake days, Reb Beach, will be filling in for the upcoming European dates.”
“Please join us in wishing Doug all the best for a speedy recovery. We look forward to having him back on deck really soon. We’ll keep you posted!”
Fans were quick to reply with warm wishes, with one person commenting, “You’ll be back being badass on stage soon, I know it!! Heal well, rest up. This sucks but luckily you have a great team around you and so much love from around the world. Take care.”
Another fan wrote, “Speedy recovery Doug, you were on fine form in Manchester and we can’t wait to see you again on the road when you are fully recovered, Big Love.”
“It’s very sad news, I have all the hope that @douglasaldrichguitar will win this battle and will continue to delight us with his incredible talent through his guitar!” commented a third.
Aldrich previously admitted to leaving Whitesnake about 10 years ago because he wanted to spend more time with his son. He was a member of Whitesnake from 2003 and 2014. As for the Dead Daisies, he’s been part of that band since 2015.
He explained in an interview back in 2015, I realized I needed to do that more – spend more time with my son.”
Understanding Head and Neck Cancer
Cancer of the larynx, which is also considered throat cancer, falls under the umbrella of the general classification term head and neck cancer.
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), head and neck cancer is “a broad term encompassing a number of different malignant tumors that develop in or around the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth. Oral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer.
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The two main risk factors for this group of diseases include the following:
- Tobacco use. This is the single largest risk factor for head and neck cancer with researchers estimating that 70 to 80 percent of head and neck cancers being linked to tobacco use. Also worthy of note is that secondhand smoke may increase a person’s risk of developing head and neck cancer.
- Alcohol use. Using alcohol and tobacco together increases your risk even more.
“Head and neck cancer patients, we know that tobacco smoking is a risk but also heavy alcohol use,” Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist specializing in head and neck cancer at Cleveland Clinic, previously told SurvivorNet.
“So, drinking more than two or three drinks if you’re a man per day, in addition to smoking. Smoking and alcohol are sort of additive carcinogens. Especially in cancer of the larynx or the voice box, we know that drinking heavily, heavy alcohol use, is just as important of a risk factor as tobacco smoking is.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, laryngeal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells develop in the tissues of the larynx. Additionally, signs and symptoms of this disease include sore throat, like Danielle Emery experienced, and ear pain.
Other symptoms of laryngeal cancer include:
- A cough that does not go away.
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing.
- A lump or mass in the neck or throat.
- Hoarseness, or some type of change, in the voice.
“The larynx is a part of the throat, between the base of the tongue and the trachea,” the cancer institute explains. “The larynx contains the vocal cords, which vibrate and make sound when air is directed against them. The sound echoes through the pharynx, mouth, and nose to make a person’s voice.”
Choosing Whether To Work Through Cancer Treatment
Some people can still work and go through cancer treatment, but others may want to take a break from work and focus on getting better. What you can do will depend on your stage of cancer, your treatment, and how you feel. What you shouldn’t have to worry about is getting fired for having cancer.
“We always encourage people to continue to work if they are able to,” says Sarah Stapleton, a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center. “I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.” If you’re able to work, you’ll be busy and you won’t be worrying all the time about how your treatment is going, she says.
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Some people may need to make adjustments, like being closer to the bathroom, or having a lighter workload. However, there may be times when you realistically won’t be able to work, whether that’s because you have to take time off to go get treatment, or you’re too weak after treatment to come in to the office. In those cases, most people use some of their vacation days or apply for unpaid family medical leave, Stapleton says.
Luckily, if you do find yourself needing to take off work amid a cancer battle, Stapleton says you can’t be fired for having cancer. However, if treatment interferes with your ability to do your job, or come into work at all, you may run into some issues.
Under both federal and state laws, employers are expected to make reasonable accommodations to assist employees with cancer. This many include things like extra paid time-off, shorter work hours during treatment, or offering remote work when possible.
However, employees are not expected to provide accommodations that cause “undue hardships” or “significant difficulty or expense,” according to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission.
In many cases, people who need to take significant time off from work for cancer treatment (or to care for someone in their family with cancer), are protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
The FMLA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid time off with job protection, meaning you’d have the same job (or a similar job with similar pay) when you return. The FMLA also requires employers to offer the same health insurance coverage during leave.
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Depending on where you live in the U.S., state laws might provide even more benefits to people who need to take time off from work for cancer treatment.
“Sometimes patients can work through their treatment for the beginning until their side effects become too overwhelming or other things come up,” Stapleton explains. “And at that point, [patients] generally exhaust all their vacation and sick days and the next option is family medical leave.”
“It depends on the employer on how many months or days you would get. You do not get paid during that time, but it makes sure you have job security.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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