A New Tool Is Helping Patients With Breast Cancer Keep Their Jobs During Treatment

For many people navigating breast cancer treatment, the question of whether to keep working is rarely simple. Treatment side effects, rigid schedules and uncertainty about what accommodations are even possible can leave patients feeling like they have to choose between their health and their job. For those at small businesses without protected leave, the stakes can be even higher.

A new tool called TEAMWork, developed with input from breast cancer survivors, is aiming to change that. We spoke with Yashasvini Sampathkumar, M.D., a research fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, about what the tool offers, what patients should know about their workplace rights and new findings presented at ASCO 2026 showing which format helps patients use it most.

What are some of the biggest challenges patients face when trying to balance breast cancer treatment with staying employed?

Yashasvini Sampathkumar, M.D.: In our previous work, we interviewed breast cancer survivors to better understand what specific challenges lead to job loss, and what interventions might help them retain their jobs. Survivors told us that challenges included treatment side effects, inflexible schedules and a perception that work accommodations were unavailable or inaccessible. Additionally, survivors who work in small businesses may lack access to protected leave, resulting in these patients trying to return to work after treatment to find that their role has already been replaced.

Our goal with TEAMWork is to help patients who are being treated for breast cancer identify relevant work accommodations and negotiate with their employers to receive those accommodations. Examples of accommodations could be days off, extra breaks or equipment such as a chair or stool.

Can you explain what the “My TEAMWork” tool is, and how it helps patients communicate their needs and request workplace accommodations during treatment?

YS: TEAMWork, which stands for Talking to Employers and Medical Staff about Work, is a patient-informed intervention that provides education on work accommodations based on vocational rehabilitation principles, employer negotiation strategies, symptom self-management and guidance on communicating with clinicians to enhance support (e.g., obtain work documentation). TEAMWork equips patients with strategies to effectively engage with employers and clinicians, thereby enhancing access to work accommodations and better symptom management during treatment. It is available in English and Spanish and as both a mobile application and a physical booklet.

What kinds of accommodations are commonly available to patients undergoing breast cancer treatment, and what should patients know about their rights in the workplace?

YS: Work accommodations for patients with cancer vary based on job type and setting. Common workplace accommodations include paid time off for treatment, access to a comfortable workspace and more frequently scheduled breaks. In the United States, there are federal and regional protections for workers, including the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] and the Family and Medical Leave Act [FMLA]. We recommend that patients interested in learning more about their rights check out the Cancer & Careers website. This website also has an employer-facing section that they could share with their supervisor.

Some patients may feel uncomfortable disclosing their diagnosis to an employer or asking for flexibility. What advice do you have for patients who are struggling with those conversations?

YS: Whether or not a patient chooses to share their cancer diagnosis with their boss is completely up to them, and there are benefits to either decision. Some benefits of sharing a diagnosis can include the possibility of finding social and emotional support at work, connecting with others who have been through similar situations and potentially easing the way forward for requests for work accommodations and help.

However, benefits for keeping a diagnosis private can include preservation of privacy in order to maintain a feeling that things in their work life are still “normal” and limiting the likelihood of unwanted advice or questions from coworkers or supervisors. Ultimately, it is up to each individual patient to decide what works best for them.

For patients who choose to share their diagnosis, we recommend starting by talking to the people they are the most comfortable talking to, or the people who will be most important in creating a good solution. Some people find it easier to have these conversations virtually. We would also recommend preparing ahead of time so you can decide what information you want to share. In developing TEAMWork, we worked alongside a nonprofit called Cancer & Careers that has many free resources for patients who are navigating a cancer diagnosis at work.

Based on the findings being presented at ASCO, what impact did the “My TEAMWork” resource have on patients, and why do you believe tools like this are so important for quality of life during cancer care?

YS: At ASCO 2026, we presented findings on what format of the TEAMWork intervention was more likely to be used by patients while they received treatment for their cancer. We gave TEAMWork to patients as either a mobile health application for their phone/tablet or as a physical, paper book. We found that patients who received the mobile application were more than twice as likely to use the intervention than those who received the physical book. We believe this is an important finding because it suggests that a digital intervention format may be easier for patients to utilize, especially during challenging and strenuous periods like during chemotherapy. We believe that TEAMWork can help patients with navigating work-related challenges and help improve their quality of life during cancer care.