PEOPLE WITH STRONG SOCIAL SUPPORT HAVE A 50% HIGHER CHANCE OF SURVIVING CANCER. (Plos medicine, 2010)

A key but often overlooked issue is how to support people undergoing cancer treatment, especially in the workplace, where taboos remain strong.

There are still barriers between personal struggles and professional life. Many people don’t know how to react when a coworker is diagnosed with cancer, even though research shows that support is vital to recovery.

THOUGH, WITH MEDICAL PROGRESS, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CONTINUE WORKING WHILE LIVING WITH CANCER. WORKPLACES MUST ADAPT.

According to a 2024 study published in the JNCCN, Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 47% of cancer patients continue working through treatment.

However, while many cancer patients and survivors return to work, they face challenges due to the physical and emotional toll of treatment. This highlights the crucial role of workplace support in helping cancer survivors not only maintain their careers but also heal from the disease.

Cancer and Careers and Cancer@Work provide essential resources and support to both employees and employers, helping them navigate cancer treatment in the workplace. Cancer and Careers reaches over 540,000 employees through its partners, while Cancer@Work includes more than 150 companies in its network.

In a world where we often separate professional and personal life, health should no longer be treated as a taboo, or a purely private matter. Every supportive gesture can significantly impact a cancer patient's recovery, enabling them to thrive both at work and in life.

LET’S REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN PERSONAL STRUGGLES AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

47% of cancer patients remain active in their jobs. However, supporting an employee with cancer isn’t instinctive for most organizations, not only at the corporate policy level but also among employees themselves. Yet, no source of support should be overlooked, as we know that:

PEOPLE WITH STRONG SOCIAL SUPPORT HAVE A 50% HIGHER CHANCE OF SURVIVING CANCER. (7 out of 10 survivors say workplace support helped their recovery.). Strings challenges the silence, stigma, and detachment surrounding illness in the workplace.

By weaving poetry into the corporate world, it creates a "poetical corporate" film, a deliberate oxymoron that calls for empathy in the professional sphere.

This isn’t just about raising awareness; it’s about sparking a genuine cultural transformation within businesses to make support and understanding a natural part of the work environment, ensuring that empathy becomes a core professional skill.

THE METAPHOR OF A PUPPET, WHOSE STRINGS SYMBOLIZE SUPPORT IN FACING CANCER, to foster and provide both personal and operational support within the workplace.

To go beyond traditional corporate communication, we blended art, emotion, and intimacy with a social dimension. The puppet as the central character offers a fresh departure from typical portrayals of illness, especially in the workplace.

The film’s transition to real life maintains the emotional depth and intimacy of the puppet scenes while grounding the story in the office, making it more relatable and connecting directly with the audience’s daily experiences.

Strings seeks to drive a shift in corporate culture, urging companies to make empathy an instinctive part of their environment, not just a program. Its goal is to spark lasting change within organizations, making support & empathy a new norm.

MAINSTREAM IMPACT: 25M+ impressions ; $676K in pro-bono media value.

BRAND IMPACT: +85.63% increase in users for CancerandCareers. +2 new Cancer@Work sign-ups: URSSAF (SocialContributionsCollectionAgency) & BPCE-IT, France's second- largest banking institution.

PEOPLE IMPACT: The film has been shared across both networks. CancerandCareers reaches over 540k employees +470k independents per year. Cancer@Work, with 150 member companies, covers 10% of France’s workforce. EDUCATIONAL TOOL: Strings is used as a sensibilization video within Cancer and Careers' partners, including L’Oréal, Pfizer, and Procter&Gamble Beauty.

WORKPLACE IMPACT: Strings has shifted how companies view support at work, providing access to key solutions through Cancer@Work and Cancer and Careers.

CONVERSATION STARTER: The film sparked impactful discussions at the 2025 Cancer@Work conference, across its network of engaged companies, including MaisonMoët&Chandon, CANAL+Group, DassaultSystèmes, and TheEstéeLauderCompanies. MEDICAL ENDORSMENT: Strings has been positively received by healthcare professionals, including Gustave Roussy, Europe’s leading cancer center, and Hôpitaux de Paris. Confirming support at work has a real healing impact