Young cancer sufferers reveal employment fears
Laura McCardle
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
More than half of young people aged 16- to 24-years-old with cancer are concerned about the impact of the disease on their education and future employment, new figures show.
A report published by CLIC Sargent today, reveals that 67 per cent of the 205 young people surveyed were worried about the impact of cancer on their education, while 74 per cent were concerned about the effect it would have on future job prospects.
No Young Person with Cancer Left Out found that 54 per cent of the young people were not confident about preparing for job interviews after surviving cancer treatment.
The report also shows that 61 per cent were concerned about how to disclose the fact they have had cancer to potential employers on job applications.
Dara de Burca, director of services at CLIC Sargent, said for too many young people cancer diagnosis and treatment can mean missing out at a crucial point in their education or at the very beginning of their career.
She added: “We know that as well as the physical impact of cancer and its treatment, young people are affected emotionally and it can seriously damage their confidence.
“However, if young people are given enough support, a cancer diagnosis does not have to mean the end of their ambitions.”
The publication of the charity’s report follows the launch of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases.
Published by the Department of Health on Friday, the strategy outlines a shared vision for the UK to improve the lives of people living with rare diseases and to ensure that they have access to the best evidence-based care and treatment possible.
The launch of the strategy has been welcomed by Paul Soames, chief executive of Contact a Family, who fears that children with rare diseases and their families often become invisible to support services unfamiliar with their needs.
He said: "They can miss out on vital help such as speech and language therapy, benefits such as disability living allowance or get the opportunity to speak to other families like them.
"The strategy rightly points to early diagnosis, better co-ordination of care and improved communication between specialist centres and local community services."
