new cancer cases were estimated worldwide in 2022.
Evidence & Resources
Cancer, serious illness and work
Treatment may end. Work and recovery do not simply return to normal.
Cancer and other serious illnesses can affect work through diagnosis, treatment, fatigue, pain, cognitive changes, immune risk, finances and uncertainty. Returning to work can be positive, difficult—or both.
Health, healthcare and work are connected.
Global evidence snapshot
Scale, context and equity matter.
new female breast-cancer cases were estimated globally in 2022.
is estimated to die from cancer during her lifetime.
What the evidence says
Start with what is established.
01
The health evidence
WHO identifies breast cancer as the most common cancer in women globally.
02
The wider context
Treatment and recovery vary by cancer type, stage, individual health and care access.
03
What matters
Cancer Australia recognises financial impact, time away from work and the need for flexible return-to-work planning.
Working-life lens
The impact can appear in more than absence.
01
Capacity and participation
Capacity may fluctuate during treatment and long after it ends.
02
Systems and access
Lost income, travel, care costs and reduced hours can create substantial financial pressure.
03
Trust and disclosure
A return to work may support identity and connection but can also expose gaps in workload or adjustment planning.
From evidence to practice
Support begins with a respectful, individual response.
01
Listen first
Plan return to work collaboratively and review it as recovery changes.
02
Design practical support
Consider hours, duties, infection exposure, fatigue, appointments and cognitive load.
03
Protect dignity
Avoid assumptions that treatment completion means full recovery.
Women Working Well’s research purpose
What Women Working Well is seeking to understand.
Women Working Well exists to investigate the questions that remain unseen or unanswered: what is missing from the evidence, whose experiences are under-represented, and how women’s health, healthcare, working life and life beyond work connect. These topic-specific priorities help shape the Global Women and Work Study.
01
What is missing
Evidence is uneven across cancers, occupations and employment status.
02
Who is under-represented
Long-term and episodic effects are often poorly represented in workplace data.
03
What research should connect
More evidence is needed on sustainable work—not simply the first return date.
Sources and further reading
Global evidence and authoritative guidance.
These sources support the key statements on this page. Statistics are contextual, time-bound and should be read with their source definitions. Evidence from one country, occupation or health condition should not automatically be generalised to all women.
World Health Organization — Breast cancer →Cancer Australia — Practical issues after breast cancer →WHO/IARC — Global cancer burden estimates 2022 →
Important: This page provides general evidence and workplace information. It is not medical, legal or employment advice and does not replace individual clinical care or professional advice.
Keep exploring
See the connected evidence picture.
Return to the Evidence & Resources Hub or explore the Global Women and Work Study.
Evidence & Resources →