Battling Cancer

Your rights as a cancer patient are covered by the laws listed below.

Consider this a jumping off point to your advocacy. If you are unable to self-advocate then utilize your personal advocate as recommended in the Battling Cancer archives article Patient Advocacy.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: Basic guidelines of the ADA include:

What is reasonable accommodation? It requires employers to modify an employee with cancer’s job responsibilities and or hours while they are undergoing treatment and beyond. This may include modification of work equipment or allowing an employee to come in late and make up the hours during treatment. Employers are not required to make changes that would require an undue hardship on the business.

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It is a swelling or ‘edema’ caused by a build up of fluid in the lymphatic system. Secondary lymphedema is what is seen in cancer patients after surgery to remove or dissect the lymph nodes in the arm, groin or pelvis. Normally the lymphatic system and the fluid of this system move to flight infection. Once the lymph nodes are removed fluid collects in the spaces between cell tissues. The buildup of fluid causes not only swelling but inflammation, pain and thickening of the skin in the area affected.

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