Breast cancer: employers’ role in education and detection

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, employers should be considering how they can educate staff about the disease to encourage early detection, as well as support those diagnosed with it, writes Dr Jane Benjamin.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. However, over a third of women in the UK do not check their breasts regularly for signs of breast cancer.

While people often consider breast cancer to be a private matter, it puts a significant mental and physical strain on those going through it and those around them – including at work.

Breast cancer treatment often involves time off work for surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and lengthy recovery times, all of which can negatively impact individuals’ general wellbeing and daily level of functioning. For some people this will be temporary, but for others it may be long-term or even permanent.

If an employee is diagnosed with breast cancer, it is vital that managers know how best to support them and be aware of any health promotion activities they should be doing to improve breast cancer awareness.

Creating supportive policies and fostering an inclusive workplace culture is not only a matter of social responsibility and duty of care, but also an appealing proposition that can improve employee retention and productivity.

Raising awareness

A good first step is encouraging supportive ‘human’ conversations and ensuring line managers are trained to sensitively navigate conversations or signpost colleagues to support. This can help individuals facing breast cancer feel supported and understood.

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can be emotionally challenging for employees, including those with a loved one diagnosed with the disease. Many people experience a range of different emotions, and this can be difficult to cope with.

Connecting employees with breast cancer support groups or counselling services can provide them with a safe space to share experiences, seek guidance, and find emotional support from individuals who have gone through similar journeys. Employee assistance programmes (EAPs) are a crucial strand of any corporate wellbeing strategy and provide access to counselling services, mental health resources, and support networks.

Businesses and the occupational health teams within them can also take part in other health promotion activities, such as information campaigns during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and distributing educational materials covering risk factors, symptoms and prevention strategies. Similarly, organising training sessions on breast health, self-examination techniques and the significance of regular screenings should also be considered.

These activities and resources can help raise awareness about the disease, hopefully leading to timely medical attention.

It’s important to note that while these strategies can make a positive difference, they are just a starting point. Breast cancer awareness and support should be an ongoing effort, and integrated into health benefit packages.

Practical support

Breast cancer treatments often require frequent medical appointments, which can be time-consuming and disruptive to work schedules. Facilitating flexible working arrangements with consideration of reduced working hours, home working and a phased return to work following treatment, will all help alleviate the burden of an employee’s diagnosis, allowing them to manage the physical and emotional demands of their treatments while maintaining their productivity at work.

Employers should also strive to provide a comfortable working environment wherever possible. This can include offering ergonomic equipment or modifying workstations to accommodate their needs. Access to private areas where employees can rest and recover should be considered.

Employees with breast cancer undergo a combination of treatments, drug therapies, and surgeries. Many have radiation therapy or chemotherapy, and some are treated with a combination of the two. It is important for employers to tailor adjustments to the specific needs of each individual.

Referral to occupational health services will provide further support to individuals undergoing breast cancer treatment and transitioning back to work. This provides a safe environment for people to discuss their concerns which they may not feel comfortable addressing with line managers or HR.

Screening

When it comes to breast cancer, the benefits of screening cannot be overstated. While 3.2 million women were invited for routine breast screening in England in 2021/22, only 2.1 million were actually screened, meaning over one million women missed out.

Early detection of the disease significantly affects survival rates. The sooner it is diagnosed, the more likely treatment is to be successful, which reinforces the importance of making screening a priority.

Employers should strive to educate employees on the importance of regular screenings, tests and checks, and ensure they are aware that screenings for breast cancer are available on the NHS for employees in specific age bands.

Where possible, to supplement the NHS screening programmes, organisations should consider offering screenings as part of their health benefits packages.

Most of HCA Healthcare’s corporate health screens include mammograms as part of breast screening from 40 years of age and they have conducted close to 10,000 mammograms for corporate clients alone since 2019. This is not to mention the numbers conducted by HCA hospitals due to increased breast cancer awareness. HCA Healthcare also offers Invitae genetics tests for some clients who elect to sign up for advanced screening options – and this picks up breast cancer gene BRCA 1&2 allowing earlier detection and prevention of cancer.

Employers play a crucial role in promoting detection and aiding in the recovery of employees diagnosed with breast cancer through supportive work environments, education and information, and access to screening services. By integrating these efforts into their overall health benefits packages, employers can minimise the impact this unfortunately common disease will have on their workforce.