Working During Your Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Once you’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have a treatment plan taking shape, it’s important to think about whether continuing to work makes sense for you. A medical social worker can be a great sounding board when making these decisions.

Of course, your plans will depend on how you tolerate chemotherapy, which varies from person to person. Some women struggle with fatigue and other side effects, while others experience fewer side effects if at all. Our experts tell SurvivorNet that many women may be able to continue to work and go about their daily lives during their treatment.  In many cases women can work 50 to 75 percent of their pre-diagnosed hours and some have even been able to maintain a full-time schedule.

“Some women will have to keep working because they have to pay their bills and they can’t imagine any other way to do that,” says Laurie Ostacher, medical social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area. “Other women worry about losing their job if they take time off.” She says that for patients who really don’t think they can work but are worried they’re not going to be able to make ends meet, she’ll help navigate disability insurance to advise if it may cover their cost of living.

Know Your Rights

Some people with job problems related to cancer are protected by the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others may also benefit from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a law that allows many people with serious illnesses take unpaid leave to get medical care or manage their symptoms. Talk to someone in your human resources department or another workplace expert to find out what your options are.

In some situations, employers must accommodate a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show it would be an undue hardship to do so. This could mean making changes to work schedules, equipment, or policies. Find out more about job accommodations and employment of people with limitations from the Job Accommodation Network.

Getting Back to Work Can Help You Feel More Like Yourself

“Some women choose to continue working because their work is a significant part of their identity, they enjoy their job, and there’s flexibility built in,” says Ostacher. If you are able to work during treatment, you might find that it helps you feel more like yourself. Not only does it provide a needed source of income, it reminds you that you have a life apart from cancer – as a valued employee, a great boss, or a trusted co-worker. A work life also encourages regular contact with others. Sometimes cancer can make you feel isolated and lonely, and being around people can be a great comfort.

“For women who want to go back to work, I help them think about what types of conversations they’ll need to have with their employer,” says Ostacher. “I get a sense of how much information they’re looking to share, and what type of work schedule they think they can handle—keeping in mind that that can change at different points in their chemotherapy cycle.” She adds that “patients need to let their employer know [they’re] going to need some flexibility around that. Because there are going to be days when you’re not as energetic or feeling as well as other days.”

Ostracher also helps her patients decide how to begin this conversation with their employer, because “it really is an ongoing conversation.”

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