Older cancer survivors, those between 55 and 65 years old, who remain cancer-free for two to six years after a diagnosis, are as likely to be working as their colleagues who have not had cancer, according to a new study published in the Health Service Research Journal.

However, people who have received a recent diagnosis of cancer are less likely to be working.

According to the lead author, Pamela Farley Short of Pennsylvania State University, "It's mostly good news. Once you get through the treatment, then, generally speaking, you can look forward to being productive and expect that your career will not be affected." In addition, Short adds that, for employers, "there is every reason to believe that survivors will continue to be productive workers and will stick with their employer."

Jimmie Holland, M.D., a psychiatrist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, commented on the results, "It looks as if the stigma of having cancer has been diminished and workers will be allowed to work if they're physically able. It's a win-win situation."

According to data available on cancer patients and caregivers, of all the patients diagnosed with cancer, at least 50 percent will be cared for by a family member. Cancer Caregivers Strength for Caring points to a survey from the Journal of Family Nursing that provides insight into the life and unmet needs of a cancer caregiver.

Some of the information from the study reveals that 82 percent of cancer caregivers are women; 71 percent are married; 54 percent live with the patient; 47 percent are more than 50 years old and 36 percent reported care giving took more than 40 hours of time per week.

Cancer caregivers make certain the person they are caring for has everything they need and often take care of the cancer patient's normal daily tasks, errands and chores that the loved one with cancer might not be able to do for themselves while undergoing cancer surgery and treatments. What the study found was cancer caregivers do not take time to take care of themselves and the toll it takes on the caregiver can be negative and profound.

Stress is not good. Long-term stress can suppress the immune system. Part of cancer prevention is supporting a healthy immune system so it can do the job of stopping cancer before it has a chance to develop into disease.

Whether stress is related to work or family life, most of us experience too much stress in our daily life. Why the same events will cause some people stress and not others, or why the same event can cause us to experience stress at one time but not seem to bother us as much at a different time, is largely based on our perception of the event and how we define what is happening.

One of the best ways to escape stress? Never personalize what is taking place. Easier said than done, but with practice, it works in reducing the amount of stress and the number of times you experience stress in a day. Still, easier said than done.

Some employers are understanding while others are not so accommodating when it comes to an employee's need for a more flexible schedule or time off from work while they undergo the rigors of chemotherapy, surgeries and other cancer treatments. According to the Disability Rights Legal Center at Loyola Law School, cancer can be considered a disability, and cancer patients treated unfairly have remedies through laws that protect the disabled.

"In fact, people with cancer face a lot of employment discrimination," states Eve Hill of the Disability Rights Legal Center. Barbara Schwerin, who heads the Cancer Legal Resource Center, estimates they get about 300 calls from cancer patients each month. Because of the extreme fatigue, and other disabling side effects a cancer patient can suffer from cancer surgeries and treatments, patients often worry if they will lose their job in the process. Schwerin reassures them that they often have legal rights that will protect them from less understanding employers. Really, the last thing a cancer patient needs to worry about -- while they are fighting to stay alive and survive cancer -- is whether they will have a job or a roof over their heads and food in the pantry.

Do you need to tell a prospective employer you had cancer? Simply put, if it does not affect your job performance, you are not required to tell a prospective employer about your cancer when applying for employment. At Livestrong's SurvivorCare, some common reasons cancer survivors experience employment discrimination include:

• Employers sometimes have incorrect assumptions about what cancer survivors can or cannot do.
• Survivors sometimes need to leave town for treatment.
• Employers are often uncertain about the time requirements needed for cancer treatment or follow-up appointments.
• Employers sometimes fear their insurance costs will go up.
• Survivors may need to change how they perform their job.
• Employers sometimes incorrectly view cancer as a death sentence and are worried that survivors may not be able to perform their job duties.

Two federal laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, protect cancer survivors from employment discrimination. Livestrong's SurvivorCare offers an excellent overview of the issues of employment for cancer survivors. For detailed information and technical assistance about the Americans with Disabilities Act, please visit the ADA website. Cancer survivors have enough concerns without the additional worry they will be discriminated against, or prevented from, earning a living because of cancer.