India is witnessing a troubling paradox. Advances in diagnosis and treatment mean that more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Yet the very systems that should protect these patients and survivors are failing to recognise the lasting impact of cancer on their lives.
The fact that millions live with long-term physical and cognitive consequences of treatment is still brushed aside because their struggles are not always visible. This invisibility denies them dignity, protection and access to essential support. It is time to correct that.
Public understanding of cancer often stops at the point of remission. The reality is very different. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and major surgery leave many patients and survivors with chronic fatigue, nerve damage, severe pain, mobility challenges, memory and concentration issues, and profound psychological trauma. These effects can last for years and can substantially limit daily life.
The World Health Organisation has acknowledged that cancer can result in disability. The 2025 Disability Health Equity Initiative calls for the inclusion of people with chronic illnesses and invisible disabilities in all aspects of society. Countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States have already acted on this understanding.
In the United Kingdom, cancer is classified as a disability from the moment of diagnosis under the Equality Act 2010. In the United States, protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that people with cancer are safeguarded against discrimination in work and public services.
These policies recognise a basic truth: disability is not always something you can see. It can be a quiet, ongoing struggle.
In India, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 lists twenty-one categories of disability. Cancer does not feature among them unless it leads to an already listed visible impairment. A patient or a survivor living with relentless fatigue or cognitive impairments after chemotherapy is not considered disabled under the law unless they also have, for example, a form of locomotor disability.
The result is that cancer patients and survivors are excluded from disability certificates, workplace protections, accommodations in public services, tax and travel benefits and financial support schemes. There is no national registry that tracks disability outcomes for cancer patients and survivors. Employment discrimination, inaccessible public spaces and insurance exclusions go unrecorded and unaddressed.
This silence in the law creates silence in the system. The harm caused by this invisibility is not abstract. It affects daily life in ways that those with visible disabilities are often spared.
At airports, it is common to see able-bodied passengers casually requesting wheelchairs simply to board first. Meanwhile, a cancer patient and survivor silently managing pain, nausea and exhaustion waits in long queues simply because they appear outwardly fine. The system responds only to what it sees.
In hospitality settings, too, rigid rules overshadow reasonable flexibility. People recovering from cancer may have slow mornings due to medication timings, digestive issues or overwhelming fatigue. Yet requests such as providing a simple breakfast later in the morning as part of a paid package are often denied because the guest does not look like they need accommodation.
These are not isolated stories. They reveal a broader failure to acknowledge invisible needs. They expose an empathy gap that leaves patients and survivors feeling compelled to justify or prove their struggles before receiving support.
Cancer patients and survivors do not seek pity. They ask for dignity and fairness. They have fought one of the toughest battles a human being can face. To then expect them to fight bureaucracy, disbelief and discrimination simply to access what should be basic support is morally wrong.
A society is judged not only by how it treats the sick, but also by how it supports those in recovery. India must expand its understanding of disability to reflect reality rather than rely on narrow and outdated definitions. Recognising cancer-related disability is not simply a legal reform. It is an act of compassion and justice. It says to every patient and survivor: We see you. We understand your struggle. You deserve a life of dignity.
The time to act is now.
Dr. Urvashi Prasad is a Senior Fellow and Ankeetaa Mahesshwari is a Fellow at Pahlé India Foundation, a Delhi-based think-tank.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Buzz.
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