{
  "id": 6131991,
  "title": "POV: After surviving cancer, I had to survive going back to work. I wish there'd be a bit more empathy.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/pov-after-surviving-cancer-i-had-to-survive-going-back-to-work-i-wish",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-07T10:41:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/survive-cancer-survive-work/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recovering from cancer is not an easy journey. After surviving the disease, individuals often still face medical treatments and regular check-ups. For two-time cancer survivor Atiqah, balancing these appointments with her work life has been a challenge. In her position as a customer service representative, Atiqah has been dealing with two separate bouts of breast cancer. Initially diagnosed in 2021, Atiqah underwent a lumpectomy and was prescribed tamoxifen, a hormone medication. She also faced a relationship issue that contributed to her depression.\n\nWhen Atiqah was first diagnosed with cancer, the company she worked for, Company A, was very supportive. Her supervisors checked on her regularly, and she was allowed to take time off to rest. However, after Company A closed down in Singapore, Atiqah moved to another company, Company B. When she returned to work after her second cancer diagnosis, she was required to attend several medical appointments, including gynecologist check-ups, mammograms, ultrasounds, and post-cancer physiotherapy.\n\nAtiqah's current employer, Company B, has been somewhat rigid in their approach to her medical leave entitlement. While she is entitled to 14 days of medical leave, her manager does not allow her to use the time-off in half-day increments. This leaves Atiqah with limited flexibility in managing her medical appointments and work schedule. She has to take accumulated time-off or medical certificates (MCs) to cover her appointments. Atiqah plans her time-off carefully throughout the year, ensuring she has enough MCs for upcoming check-ups.\n\nDealing with the stress of cancer and its ongoing treatment is mentally exhausting for Atiqah. She often finds herself overthinking and anxious about her medical appointments, even though she often looks healthy to those around her. To cope, she has started seeing a counselor to help manage her anxiety. However, not everyone fully understands the impact cancer can have on an individual's life, especially in the workplace. Some of Atiqah's fellow breast cancer survivors have faced disciplinary actions, pay cuts, demotions, or frozen promotions, due to their medical appointments. Atiqah hopes that employers will show a little empathy towards their employees who are cancer survivors and still on medication. By understanding the challenges these individuals face, employers can provide a more supportive work environment.",
  "summary": "Life goes on after cancer.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}