A growing number of Japanese companies are stepping up efforts to help employees diagnosed with cancer balance treatment with their work responsibilities.

Cancer is expected to affect 1 in 2 people in Japan. Cancers that primarily affect women, such as breast cancer and cervical cancer, are especially common among those in the prime of their working lives.

In response, more businesses are strengthening support systems for affected employees while also promoting awareness within the workplace.?

¡°It is important to develop a better understanding of cancer and create a workplace atmosphere in which employees feel comfortable seeking advice,¡± an official at Daiwa Securities Group said.

A 49-year-old woman who works for a real-estate company in Tokyo was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. At the time, she was living with her daughter, who was in high school.

¡°I didn¡¯t want to make my daughter sad,¡± she recalls. She told herself, ¡°I need to get proper treatment and keep working so I can maintain my income.¡±

After undergoing surgery, she continued treatment on an outpatient basis while adjusting her work schedule to what she could manage, including working from home and shortening her hours. She also chose to have breast reconstruction surgery. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to lose my breasts,¡± she says.

Now, her health has improved to the point that even the occasional mother-daughter quarrel has returned. Looking back, she says, ¡°The support system at my workplace and the help of my colleagues made a difference.¡±

The incidence of many cancers rises with age. But according to statistics from the National Cancer Center Japan, breast cancer, which is estimated to affect 1 in 9 women, is unusual in that its incidence first peaks between the ages of 45 and 49. Cervical cancer peaks even earlier, between the ages of 40 and 44, the statistics show. These are often years when many women are balancing both careers and child-rearing.

Thanks to advances in medicine, many cancers can be cured if detected at an early stage. Even so, a cancer diagnosis comes as a profound shock to anyone who receives it.

At Daiwa Securities Group, branch managers and department heads are given a response manual to use when an employee reports a cancer diagnosis. The guide instructs supervisors to reassure employees that ¡°there is no need to quit their jobs¡± and to ¡°confirm how much information about the illness can be shared¡± in the workplace.

The company also regularly informs all employees about internal support systems, including flexible work arrangements and loan programs to help cover treatment costs.

¡°We make our commitment to supporting employees clear, so they do not panic if they are diagnosed with cancer,¡± a company...