At the same time, the cost of modern oncology continues to escalate. A study in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology found that the United States spent $99 billion on anticancer therapies in 2023, with 95% of the new therapies launched that year carrying annual price tags above $100,000. Projections estimate spend will reach $180 billion by 2028. These treatments can be transformative, but they also raise the stakes for ensuring employees get the right therapy from the start.

Beyond rising incidence and expensive therapies, employers face another often unseen challenge: gaps in how cancer is diagnosed and treated across care settings. More than half of Americans receive cancer care in community practices, where clinicians work hard but can struggle to navigate fast-changing guidelines and the overwhelming pace of new research. A Johnson & Johnson survey found that 73% of oncologists feel overwhelmed by treatment innovation and 70% struggle to stay current with evolving pathways.

A cancer diagnosis is disorienting for most employees. Even high-performing employees struggle to manage appointments, understand treatment options, or pursue second opinions. Delays, duplicative tests, and fragmented decisions become common and costly.

Where employers can invest to improve access and manage cost

But employers aren't powerless. They have meaningful levers that shape how employees access cancer expertise, navigate decisions, and receive timely, evidence-based care.

1. Expand access to precision medicine

Personalized cancer care starts with accurate diagnostics. Genomic and biomarker testing help determine whether a patient should receive targeted therapies, immunotherapies, or newer antibody-drug conjugates. Without access to these tests, employees may begin treatment with less targeted options before reaching the right one. Expanding coverage for precision medicine reduces waste, limits toxicity, and improves outcomes.

2. Strengthen navigation and care coordination

Cancer care is complex, and employees shouldn't navigate it alone. Oncology nurse navigators help employees understand their diagnosis, manage appointments, interpret results, and handle insurance requirements. In my experience, navigation reduces delays, prevents redundant care, and supports underserved groups who often face the most significant barriers.

3. Modernize screening and prevention

With cancer affecting younger adults more frequently, screening policies and prevention programs must reflect today's realities. Early detection consistently leads to more effective treatment and lower total cost of care. Updating screening guidelines, encouraging preventive care, and supporting programs that address tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and nutrition can help identify cancers earlier — when they're most treatable and outcomes are better.

4. Increase access to subspecialist expertise

Most employees will not proactively seek second opinions from National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, even though the value is clear. In an AccessHope study, expert opinions recommended various changes in care to optimize outcomes in a significant proportion of cases: Across the entire study population, changes in cancer treatment were recommended in 52% of expert opinions, and changes in supportive care were recommended in over a third.

5. Strengthen survivorship support

As employees return to work after treatment, survivorship must be part of benefit design. The American Cancer Society reports there are already 18.6 million cancer survivors in the United States, a number expected to exceed 22 million by 2035. Survivors often face long-term side effects, mental health challenges and ongoing monitoring needs. Employers offering flexible return-to-work accommodations, mental health resources, and support programs can help employees reintegrate with confidence — improving wellbeing and reducing turnover.

Modernizing with intent

Cancer care is advancing faster than traditional benefit structures can keep pace. As costs continue to rise and treatments become more specialized, employers can build strategies that deliver better outcomes and more predictable spending.

By modernizing benefits with intent–focusing on precision diagnostics, strong navigation, proactive prevention, subspecialist expertise, and survivorship support–employers can create cancer benefits aligned with how cancer is treated today. Employers that take the lead will ensure every employee can benefit from the right expertise, the proper diagnostics, and the right treatment pathway when it matters most.

Peter Bridges is a 30+ year health care and benefits executive who oversees strategy, growth and employer partnerships at AccessHope. He previously served as president of Curai Health and Chief Commercial Officer at Ginger, playing a central role in the company's expansion and its merger with Headspace Health.