Employers have substantial opportunities to influence how quickly and effectively cancer is detected among their workforces. This is of critical importance as rates of early-onset cancer continue to climb.

Many businesses and organizations already offer essential and compassionate workplace support for cancer for adults younger than 50, who often are at the height of their career upon diagnosis. Yet employers today are well-positioned to further expand prevention and screening efforts and to enhance support initiatives such as education, which goes beyond clinical interventions. By doing so, they will continue to directly boost patient outcomes and advance employee health and well-being.

In the process, employers will also help to reduce health care costs, for everyone involved.

Many cancer cases are preventable

Between 30% and 50% of all cancer cases are preventable, according to the World Health Organization, with conditions such as colorectal cancer and breast cancers now being diagnosed at later stages and younger ages. Already, U.S. cancer screening guidelines have shifted to include younger people. For instance, colonoscopies and mammograms are now first recommended for 45- and 40-year-olds, respectively, rather than the previously recommended age of 50.

Employers should also be aware that multiple, often-interconnected factors have led to the more frequent occurrence of early-onset cancers. These include delayed care, which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as higher rates of obesity, substance use and environmental exposures.

More specifically, researchers are now probing how modern life might “rewrite the body’s cellular fate” to trigger early-onset cancers; they are examining the full range of environmental exposures a person experiences throughout life, even before birth, according to a recent article in The Washington Post. “Medications taken during pregnancy, the spread of ultra-processed foods, disruptions to circadian rhythms — caused by late-night work, global travel and omnipresent screens — and the proliferation of synthetic chemicals are all under scrutiny,” the article states.

Examples of employer support abound

For their part, employers can positively impact the rate of early detection of cancer by:

Actively promoting advanced screening measures and access to less invasive screening methods;
Maintaining full coverage for recommended screenings;
Deploying effective primary care strategies; and
Holding providers accountable for prevention and screening outcome measures, among other strategies.

Additional examples of workplace support include:

Extending leave policies to support preventive care and continued treatment;
Promoting lifestyle improvements that reduce risk factors such as poor nutrition, inactivity and stress;
Investing in employee communication and engagement around early detection and regular screening adherence; and
Building health inclusion into all cancer strategies to ensure every employee has access to timely screening, diagnosis and quality care.

Personalized recommendations may make sense

Alternative cancer screening options that focus on personalized recommendations may make sense in areas where provider resources are scarce and for employees who face socioeconomic barriers, as explained in Business Group on Health’s Taking Action on Cancer: A Business Group on Health Viewpoint.

Global employers also grapple with the rising incidence of early-onset cancer among working-age populations. At a recent Business Group on Health Global Institute meeting, members shared how they turn strategy into meaningful action by bringing screenings on-site, offering education on colorectal and skin cancer, and partnering with national health systems for community-based detection events. These practical initiatives show how employers are investing to make screening more routine and accessible to diverse employee groups.

Cancer remains top condition driving cost

Overall, cancer remains the top condition driving employer health care costs for the fourth consecutive year, according to Business Group on Health’s 2026 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey, compounded by the greater incidence of early-onset cases as well as the steep cost of treatment.

Roughly three-quarters of employers (74%) reported seeing a greater prevalence of cancer, the survey showed. Employers surveyed also recognized the importance of access to high-value treatments, with about half planning to offer a cancer center of excellence (COE) in 2026 and another 23% considering doing so by 2028. Unfortunately, these numbers – as well as the incidence of early-onset cancers – show no sign of abating anytime soon, which creates an ongoing challenge for employers, not just as a business imperative.

As employers influence the health care trajectory of the modern workforce, they will also enhance the health and quality of life for employees and their communities, for many years to come.

For further guidance, members can access Business Group on Health resources:

A New Frontline in the Early-Onset Cancer Crisis: The Workplace

Many cancer cases are preventable

Examples of employer support abound

Personalized recommendations may make sense

Cancer remains top condition driving cost

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