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The cancer landscape is changing—and so must client benefit strategies
Diagnoses are rising fastest among younger generations, leading to longer care journeys and greater long-term cost exposure for your clients.
Cancer is increasingly affecting working-age employees and reshaping workforce health risks
Cancer is no longer primarily a late-career health event. As diagnoses rise among younger employees, employers—and you as their consultant—must rethink how benefits support prevention, treatment and survivorship.
At the same time, cancer care costs continue to grow, with national spending projected to exceed $240 billion by 2030.1 For employers, the impact extends beyond medical costs to workforce stability, productivity and employee experience.
Younger generations are driving the fastest growth in new cancer diagnoses
58.8%
increase in cancer diagnoses among Gen Z1
53.6%
increase among millennials1
Cancer among younger workers
The research report examines how cancer trends are shifting within working-age populations and what those shifts mean for employers. It highlights how younger employees experience different cancer types, longer care journeys and new financial and workplace pressures.
Why oncology is now a workforce strategy
For younger employees, a cancer diagnosis often occurs during critical life stages, including career development, raising families and long-term financial planning. Treatment and recovery frequently intersect with workplace responsibilities, creating challenges that affect productivity, employee well-being and retention.
Research shows many employees experience financial strain, anxiety and significant life disruption during treatment, highlighting the need for more coordinated employer strategies and advisor guidance.
How consultants can respond
Modern oncology strategies focus on engagement, coordination and support—helping you and the employers you advise—strengthen benefits across prevention, treatment and survivorship. By engaging employees earlier, simplifying care navigation and integrating support services, organizations can improve outcomes while managing long-term costs.
Key cancer trends consultants should understand
Understanding these cancer trends can help you design employer benefit strategies that better support employees across prevention, treatment, recovery and return to work.
Gen Z and millennials are driving the fastest growth in cancer diagnoses
Younger employees face distinct cancer types and longer care journeys
Cancer increasingly intersects with career development and family responsibilities
Treatment often introduces financial, emotional, and productivity challenges
What your clients may be missing in cancer support
New insights from The Cigna Group® highlight gaps in cancer care, including missed screenings, unmet mental health needs and low awareness of available support programs.
For your clients, these gaps can affect outcomes, employee well-being, productivity and return-to-work success. This perspective reinforces the need for oncology strategies that support the full employee experience.
Survivorship support is becoming an essential employer benefit strategy
18.6M
cancer survivors currently live in the United States2
26M
projected number of survivors by 20402
Turning oncology insights into employer strategy
Cancer care today requires coordinated support across clinical, emotional, financial and workplace needs. Integrated oncology benefit strategies help employees navigate treatment while improving outcomes and reducing fragmentation.
Learn how employers are implementing modern oncology benefits:
Oncology navigation that helps employees coordinate care and understand treatment options
Site-of-care optimization that guides patients to appropriate treatment settings
Survivorship and return-to-work support programs
Benefit strategies that address disparities in screening, diagnosis and treatment access
Evaluate your clients’ oncology readiness
This checklist outlines key trends shaping oncology benefits in 2026 and helps organizations assess their readiness to address emerging challenges. You can use it to identify gaps, strengthen benefit design and improve employee engagement throughout the cancer journey.
Engagement is the key to better oncology outcomes
Cancer diagnoses are increasing among younger employees, and treatment journeys are becoming more complex. Employers that promote early engagement, support screening and coordinate care can improve outcomes while helping manage long-term costs.
Evernorth® partners with consultants and employers to simplify oncology care, strengthen engagement and navigate the evolving cancer landscape.
Sources
- Evernorth Health Services, 2026. “Health Care in Focus: Cancer among younger, working-age adults”.
- National Cancer Institute, 2025. “Statistics and Graphs”. https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/ocs/statistics