National Conference Session Descriptions

Below are session descriptions for the 2026 National Conference on Work & Cancer.

Ask the Experts: The Doctor's Perspective

What role do your oncologist and extended healthcare team play in thinking through your ability to work? How do you manage treatment side effects while on the job? Are there work-friendly treatment options to consider? Hear insights into these questions—and more—from our panel of medical oncologists.

Connecting The Dots: Navigating Work & Cancer

There are many employment-related questions to consider after a cancer diagnosis, and each person’s path will be different based on their treatment, personal- and work-circumstances. In this session, you will hear critical information and practical guidance for addressing your unique needs, including thinking through disclosure, tips for balancing treatment and work, dos and don’ts for an effective job search, communication strategies (including “The Swivel”), managing side effects and so much more.

Ask the Experts: Engaging HR

Session description coming soon.

Navigating a New Chapter: Career Transitions and Cancer

What happens when a life-changing diagnosis and an incredible job offer arrive at the same moment? Don't miss this candid and deeply personal conversation between CAC's Executive Director, Rebecca V. Nellis, and Katie Welch, Head of Brand and Company Communications, US at CHANEL, as Katie shares her experience receiving a cancer diagnosis in the same weeks she accepted a new role. Katie will share the very real and very practical decisions she faced — disclosing her diagnosis to a new employer, navigating a change in doctors and treatment centers mid-care, managing side effects while showing up for a demanding new role, and relocating to New York City while actively in treatment. With more than 20 years of experience building some of beauty's most beloved brands, Katie brings both a professional leader's perspective and a patient's honesty to this wide-ranging conversation.

Connecting the Dots: Job Search

Session description coming soon.