Cancer takes a toll on both body and mind. Learn why whole-person mental health benefits are critical for supporting employees and sustaining productivity.
One in three people globally is diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Many survivors are of working age, making it a business-critical concern for organizations.
Most employers understand how important it is to offer employees physical support, such as health coverage, during medical crises. But cancer isn’t solely a physical challenge. It takes a significant toll on the mind and emotions, too.
Cancer patients and survivors are up to three times more likely to struggle with mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, concentration problems, and fatigue. These struggles spill over into the workplace, resulting in productivity loss, missed work, and turnover.
Understanding the full impact of cancer on employees—including the mental and emotional challenges—is essential for employers who want to foster a supportive, productive workplace. By addressing these needs through tailored mental health programs, organizations can help employees navigate cancer while maintaining engagement and performance.
The word “cancer” evokes images of physical difficulties like surgery, hospitalization, and side effects of chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Yet the emotional and mental impact is often just as severe due to chronic pain and fatigue, uncertainty for the future, disruptions to daily routine, and the fear of recurrence.
In fact, 70% of cancer patients experience at least one symptom of depression, and 65% experience at least one symptom of anxiety.
This mental health toll has been well documented in research and confirmed by clinicians.
“People with cancer are more likely to experience depression compared to the general population,” says Dr. Mary Odafe, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical and Scientific Affairs Liaison at Modern Health. “Yet 56% of cancer patients feel unprepared for cancer’s mental and emotional impact. And for many, the distress continues long after treatment, affecting both personal recovery and professional life,” explains Dr. Odafe. “That’s why it’s critical that employers are by their side with resources that support both recovery and resilience.”
The effects of cancer on the workplace are costly, with U.S. businesses spending $125 billion on medical expenses alone, and cancer treatments accounting for 12% of total medical costs. According to the Business Group on Health, cancer continues to rank among employers’ leading health care expenses—underscoring the need for more comprehensive, integrated care strategies that address the full picture of employee well-being.
“When employers invest in behavioral health alongside cancer treatment, they can reduce overall healthcare costs by up to 30%,” says Dr. Dori Steinberg, Principal Health Economics and Outcomes Researcher at Modern Health. “It’s not just about compassion—it’s about addressing a major cost driver in a more effective way.”
But the hidden costs of cancer’s mental-health side effects are just as serious, leading to:
Behind these numbers are employees struggling to balance treatment, recovery, and their careers—often without adequate support from their workplace.
These costs highlight how comprehensive support, including mental health benefits, is not an optional perk but an essential strategy for sustaining both employee well-being and organizational performance.
Cancer stigma in the workplace can take many forms—from discrimination and bullying to misconceptions about how the disease affects work.
Most employers don’t believe cancer stigma impacts their organization, but many cancer survivors disagree, according to research. In fact, 50% of employees with cancer fear telling their employer, yet 92% think support at work would improve their health.
Fear of losing their job or of what colleagues might think can lead employees to hide their diagnosis. Others return to work before they’re ready due to financial necessity or pressure to perform. In each of these scenarios, employees feel unsupported and disconnected from their workplace.
Left unaddressed, stigma not only harms employee well-being but also drives presenteeism, disengagement, and turnover—compounding both human and financial costs for employers.
Supporting employees through cancer with compassionate, meaningful policies and benefits gives them more space to focus on recovery. This might look like offering extended paid leave or providing flexibility for those who continue working.
Building a benefits strategy that gives employees the option to continue working if they want—and equips them to do it—is one step toward building a healthier, more supportive culture.
“Comprehensive support at the hardest moments—like a cancer diagnosis—can make all the difference, helping employees move from fear to resilience,” says Dr. Odafe. “That’s the kind of care that protects well-being and inspires long-term trust.”
Most employees want support that goes beyond the basics and addresses the whole person. Cancer patients say emotional health (46%) and mental health (39%) are the top two areas where they want additional help.
“You can’t ignore mental health when dealing with a physical health issue—because the two are intertwined,” says Dr. Odafe.
For example, the physical symptoms of cancer surgery and treatment can strain a patient’s mental health. That psychological distress, in turn, can encourage inflammation and weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to heal and fight off cancer cells.
“Whole-person mental health care can impact cancer survival by encouraging patients to stick to their treatments, improve their quality of life, and even reduce symptoms like pain and fatigue,” Dr. Odafe says.
One study indicates that mental health treatment reduced mortality by 25% to 30% among veterans with lung cancer and mental illness.
“Employer-sponsored care should reflect the mind-body connection,” Dr. Odafe says. “Modern Health data indicates that employees with mental and physical health needs improve significantly when care focuses on the whole person, not just one aspect of their well-being.”
At Modern Health, employees with cancer can access care that matches their urgency level, scheduling needs, and unique preferences. Our personalized, holistic approach to mental health care includes:
Once employers understand the physical and mental ramifications of cancer on employee well-being, they can take the next step toward implementing meaningful changes in the workplace.
A robust, human-centered mental health program includes the following elements:
Your mental health benefits should offer access to therapists who specialize in cancer-related mental health conditions or who have experience working with cancer patients. This gives employees a safe place to discuss mental health struggles related to their diagnosis, such as fear of death or recurrence, treatment-related trauma, grief, burnout, and long-term uncertainty.
For employers, this ensures employees receive specialized care that helps them stay healthier, more engaged, and more resilient at work.
Employees with cancer often share their diagnosis with their manager at some point, especially if they need to take leave, quit, or request scheduling accommodations.
According to Modern Health research, a majority of managers (60%) feel pressured to offer their employees mental and emotional support—but only 23% feel equipped to do so.
Managers should receive training to recognize signs of stress, respond empathetically when an employee shares their diagnosis, and direct employees to their mental health benefits. Modern Health’s Managing Mindfully Pathway, for example, provides 1:1 support to help managers strengthen their own resilience while learning strategies to better support their teams.
For employers, investing in manager training reduces stigma, builds trust, and helps retain valuable talent during difficult times.
Cancer can be a traumatic experience for caregivers, leading to stress, exhaustion, and depression. According to research, 47% of cancer caregivers have symptoms of depression, and 42% have symptoms of anxiety.
Employers can help ease this burden by extending benefit coverage to caregivers on staff as well as dependents, giving them access to therapy, coaching, and resources for mindfulness and stress alleviation.
For employers, extending care reduces burnout among caregivers, improves morale, and creates a culture of compassion that strengthens loyalty.
Earning leadership buy-in for cancer-related mental health starts with understanding each stakeholder’s priorities. Once those are clear, you can demonstrate value by using a mix of ROI (return on investment) and VOI (value on investment) metrics that link well-being to performance outcomes.
“Executives respond to data that connects employee well-being to measurable business outcomes,” says Dr. Steinberg. “Demonstrating the productivity and engagement impact of mental health support can be as persuasive as showing cost savings.”
For example, you might use internal data to demonstrate how mental health benefits would impact cancer-related absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover—or you may highlight how a specific program aligns with organizational culture and employer brand goals.
For employers, this ensures investment in benefits is seen not just as the right thing to do, but also as a measurable driver of productivity, retention, and company reputation.
More than 25% of the workforce has cancer at any given time, which means no organization can avoid its impact. But how employers respond can make all the difference.
With robust, adaptive mental health support, organizations can strengthen productivity while cultivating a culture that champions well-being.
Download Modern Health’s guide, From Milestones to Crisis, to learn how your organization can support employees through life’s challenges, like cancer, and build an engaged, resilient workforce.
