Conference coverage: 2017 Employers Cancer Care summit

What new cancer treatments are emerging that will affect the workplace and how can employers do a better job of supporting their employees with cancer? With a roster of experts speaking on topics from new drugs in development to the role of the caregiver, Benefits Canada’s 2017 Employers Cancer Care Summit on Feb. 21 helped employers boost their knowledge of the challenges they’ll be facing.

Here are some of the highlights of the sessions.

Employers advised to reach out early and often to staff facing cancer crisis
Employers should reach out early and often to employees facing a cancer crisis, according to a man with first-hand experience.
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Getting cancer drugs to patients a significant challenge
Developing new drugs is only half of the job for those treating lung cancer, according to a medical oncologist.
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The importance of including family caregivers in the cost of cancer
Employers must acknowledge the role of family caregivers to get a true picture of the costs of cancer care, according to a University of Alberta professor.
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Get creative at cancer prevention, employers told
The old saying about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure works just as well when it comes to cancer care as it does for any other medical ailment, if you ask Dr. Jeffrey Rothenstein.
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Support to cancer patients outside hospital a ‘critical’ issue
Improvements in cancer treatments are driving patients out of hospital beds and back into their own homes.
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