The Rising Tide of Cancer: A Call to Action for Leaders
During the final months of 2023, a disconcerting meta trend caught my attention — a sharp rise in cancer diagnoses among friends and loved ones. Over a mere four months, I witnessed five individuals close to me embarking on cancer treatment, with two confronting stage 4 cancer, where the cancer has spread to at least one other organ. Seeking validation from others, I discovered that many in my circle had observed a similar surge. While cancer has always been a part of my life, its current prevalence feels different, hitting closer to home. The World Health Organization starkly asserts that cancer stands as the leading global cause of death.
Delving into this distressing trend, this article explores the surge in cancer cases from a Strategic Foresight perspective. It examines the root causes, the implications for organizational leaders, and offers insights into potential future scenarios. Strategic Foresight, a practice that envisions possible futures by analyzing existing behaviors, estimating their impact, and projecting forward, serves as a crucial tool for organizations to navigate the complexities of an uncertain future. For more information, I invite you to read my primer “Mastering Change with Strategic Foresight and Innovation.”
Entering my mid-fifties, I pondered if the increased prevalence of cancer in my life was linked to age. Traditionally, adults aged 50 and over are more susceptible to cancer, representing 88% of diagnoses according to the American Cancer Society. However, a surprising September 2023 study published in the BMJ Oncology journal reported a 79% surge in new cancer cases among individuals aged 15 to 49.
Leading Causes
The American Cancer Society reveals that 42% of newly diagnosed cases in 2023 could potentially be prevented. Unveiling the multifaceted origins of cancer, factors include genetics, smoking, alcohol consumption, poor nutrition, food processing, physical inactivity, excess body weight, exposure to harmful chemicals, environmental toxins, HPV/Hepatitis, and overexposure to the sun. Positive shifts in behavior and dietary habits, coupled with appropriate vaccinations, present avenues to mitigate the risk.
While remaining the leading cause of cancer-related fatalities in Canada, the decline in lung cancer instances since 2014 can largely be attributed to a reduction in the number of smokers. This shift is a result of heightened public awareness regarding the detrimental health effects of smoking, policy changes regulating cigarette sales, and the implementation of smoking bans in public spaces. As organizational leaders, it underscores the importance of promoting health-conscious initiatives and aligning with evolving societal norms to foster a healthier workforce and community.
Advancements in treatment and detection methods have lowered cancer-related death rates. Early detection is paramount, with a 62-day target for initiating cancer treatment highlighted by Professor Pat Price, chair of Radiotherapy UK and co-founder of the #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, in a January 2024 Guardian.com article. However, access to care becomes a growing concern, exemplified by the challenges posed by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service strike, the cost of healthcare and funding in the United States, and the shortage of healthcare providers in Canada.
When cancer hits in the workplace
A cancer diagnosis has a significant psychosocial impact on the individual. The severity of this impact is influenced by the type and stage of cancer, further compounded by its effects on employment and earnings. While some cancer patients opt to continue working, either at full capacity or with reduced hours, all will inevitably be absent from work for appointments, treatment, and recovery. Some may even leave their jobs altogether, exacerbating financial strain.
Both cancer patients undergoing treatment who choose to work and cancer survivors must navigate office politics. While various laws aim to protect cancer victims from discrimination, these safeguards primarily benefit individuals in longstanding, secure full-time corporate positions.
For those in lower-paying or part-time jobs, employment status is more precarious. Despite protections offered by discrimination laws, some lose their jobs due to extended absences. Even if they retain employment, cancer survivors often face hurdles in promotions or salary increases.
Beyond physical absence, cancer patients undergoing treatment or recovery may be present at work but not fully engaged. Fatigue, stress, emotional distress, or distraction can significantly impact performance, further diminishing their individual productivity.
A cancer diagnosis also affects family members, friends, and caregivers, who may grapple with emotional, psychological, and financial challenges. They may need to take time off work to care for their loved ones, potentially leading to long-term effects on their employment status and earnings.
The Future of Cancer
If the upward trend in cancer rates among adults persists, it not only escalates the number of individuals grappling with cancer but also intensifies the demand for caregivers. Consequently, this exacerbates the adverse impact that cancer has on work and service delivery. In addition to supporting cancer patients, leaders must devise contingency plans to manage the decrease in productivity resulting from illness or the sudden departure of a team member. This proves particularly challenging for leaders seeking to replace or supplement highly specialized roles.
Cancer possesses an insidious nature. Despite potentially affecting the body over time, it often seems to emerge unexpectedly. A personal encounter underscores this reality. My mother-in-law underwent a neck-related MRI at the hospital, and during the review of results, doctors discovered something anomalous in the lung area. Further tests revealed stage 4 lung cancer. Similarly, a friend underwent a routine colonoscopy, only to find herself in cancer-related emergency surgery a few days later. The abruptness of the diagnosis and treatment leaves loved ones and employers with minimal time to offer support to the patient.
As cancer research continues unabated, there exists a possibility that the incidence and impact of cancer could decrease. The medical field now boasts a better understanding of cancer’s causes and improved diagnostic tools. Changes in behavior, food processing, and toxin exposure reduction could contribute to curbing cancer cases. Early diagnosis has the potential to elevate cancer survival rates. However, this necessitates a shift in individual behavior and prompt diagnosis, as well as substantial transformations in entire industries involved in growing, manufacturing, and delivering food. Changing and sustaining new behavioral patterns, akin to weight loss or quitting smoking, demands robust innovation methods and organizational change management skills.
This challenge is further compounded by an individual’s socioeconomic status. Many people struggle with access to housing, nutritious food, and clean water. Their employment choices or ability to secure employment impact dietary decisions and exposure to environmental toxins, as well as their ability to maintain employment while dealing with cancer or caregiving responsibilities.
Strategic Foresight urges us to examine future scenarios based on existing trends to prepare for all possibilities. In previous articles, I concluded by highlighting future risks and opportunities stemming from current trends. In this article, I encourage readers to contemplate, research, and explore ways to reverse this trend today through behavior modification, planning, education, caregiving, research, or advocacy. The objective is to redirect the trajectory from an upward surge in cancer cases to a decline in the future.
To begin, does your organization possess a contingency plan in the event that you or your colleagues encounter an abrupt departure from work or are compelled to reduce working hours?
Additionally, does your organization have a comprehensive wellness plan in effect, promoting proper nutrition, physical activity, mental well-being, and adequate rest?
Moreover, does your organization actively advocate for cancer screening and regular physical exams?
If your response is affirmative to any of these inquiries, we welcome you to contribute your approach or plans in the comments section below. Your insights can prove invaluable in guiding other leaders facing similar challenges.
Ideas in this article are pulled from the following resources:
“The effects of cancer on a family are way beyond the person who’s had it”: The experience and effect of a familial cancer diagnosis on the health behaviours of family members
By Beth Mckeague and Rebecca Maguire
February 15, 2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462388921000119
Am I more at risk if my relatives have cancer?
By NHS
July 19, 2022
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/am-i-more-at-risk-if-my-relatives-have-cancer/
Cancer
By Word Health Organization
February 3, 2022
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
Cancer cases soared 79% globally among young adults over past 3 decades: study
by Katie Dangerfield
September 6, 2023
https://globalnews.ca/news/9938796/cancer-cases-young-adults-study/#
Cancer Facts & Figures 2023
American Cancer Society
Accessed January 2024
https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2023/2023-cancer-facts-and-figures.pdf
Cancer patients face frightening delays in treatment approvals
By Lauren Sausser
January 4, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-cancer-patients-delays-treatment.html
Cancer statistics at a glance
By Canadian Cancer Society
Accessed January 10, 2024
https://cancer.ca/en/research/cancer-statistics/cancer-statistics-at-a-glance
Changes for the Family
By National Cancer Institute
September 26, 2018
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/adjusting-to-cancer/changes-for-family
Facing the Surge: Addressing the Global Rise in Cancer Cases
By Shivani Chaudhan
January 8, 2024
https://bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/health/facing-the-surge-addressing-the-global-rise-in-cancer-cases/
Global trends in incidence, death, burden and risk factors of early-onset cancer from 1990 to 2019
By Jianhui Zhao, Liying Xu, Jing Sun, Mingyang Song, Lijuan Wang, Shuai Yuan, Yingshuang Zhu, Zhengwei Wan, Susanna Larsson, Konstantinos Tsilidis, Malcolm Dunlop, Harry Campbell, Igor Rudan, Peige Song, Evropi Theodoratou, Kefeng Ding, Xue Li,
September 4, 2023
https://bmjoncology.bmj.com/content/bmjonc/2/1/e000049.full.pdf
How can Canadian cancer patients push for answers without knowing where to turn?
By Gloria Henriquez
November 17,2024
https://globalnews.ca/news/10099848/canadian-cancer-patients-answers/
How Cancer Affects Family Life
By Cancer.net
September 2021
https://www.cancer.net/coping-with-cancer/talking-with-family-and-friends/how-cancer-affects-family-life
How scientists used ‘new generation’ nanomachines to discover form of cancer treatment
By Nicholas Finch
January 4, 2024
https://nypost.com/2024/01/04/tech/how-scientists-used-nanomachines-to-discover-a-new-form-of-cancer-treatment/
Impact of Cancer on Employment
By Victoria S. Bliner, Md, MSc and Francesca M. GAny, MD, MSc
December 5, 2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6992498/
Lung cancer death rates decreasing but still biggest cancer killer, report says
By Nicole Ireland
November 8, 2023
https://www.cp24.com/news/lung-cancer-death-rates-decreasing-but-still-biggest-cancer-killer-report-says-1.6635712
Lung cancer mortality rates decrease, cervical cancer diagnoses rise, annual health report finds
By Kelly Grant
November 9, 2023
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-lung-cancer-mortality-rates/
Settle NHS dispute or thousands with cancer could die early, say health chiefs
By Andrew Gregory
January 6, 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/06/settle-nhs-dispute-or-thousands-with-cancer-could-die-early-say-health-chiefs
Tackling the impact of cancer in the workplace
By Lyz Swanton
March 15, 2023
https://makeadifference.media/physical/how-employers-can-tackle-the-impact-of-cancer-in-the-workplace/
The Effects of Cancer on Employment and Earnings of Cancer Survivors
By Sung-Hee Jeon
September 2014
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2014362-eng.htm
Work
By Canadian Cancer Society
Accessed January 11, 2024
https://cancer.ca/en/living-with-cancer/coping-with-changes/work#:~:text=Some%20people%20with%20cancer%20have,time%20off%20for%20medical%20appointments.
Work and cancer
By Macmillan Cancer Support
April 30, 2019
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/work-and-cancer