There is no single “right” way to cope with cancer.
Today, more than half of people diagnosed with cancer recover, and many forms of lymphoma are curable. At the time of diagnosis, individuals often experience fear of the disease, uncertainty about the future, and anger at becoming ill.
Initial disorientation should gradually give way to hope, courage, and the will to live. This transition is neither simple nor immediate, as it requires effort: avoiding withdrawal, involving family members, and staying informed about the course of the disease.
With the onset of illness, relationships often change. The patient’s quality of life may be affected for a period, and family members may not always feel prepared or able to provide support. However, when communication is open and decisions are shared—while the patient always remains the final decision-maker—relationships can even become stronger.
Below is some useful information to help you understand and exercise your rights in Italy.
Healthcare costs
A lymphoma diagnosis entitles patients to full coverage of medical expenses by the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – SSN). Cancer patients are eligible for full exemption from co-payments (“ticket”) for medications, medical visits, and diagnostic tests related to treatment, complications, rehabilitation, and prevention of disease progression (Ministerial Decree No. 329/1999).
Applications for exemption must be submitted to the local health authority (ASL), providing the required documentation (typically health card, tax code, and medical/hospital records confirming the diagnosis).
Employment
In most cases, lymphoma does not prevent individuals from continuing normal work activities, except for physically demanding jobs. During treatment periods, even when hospitalization is not required, temporary leave from work may be necessary depending on physical condition, type of therapy, and test results.
However, when health conditions allow and with the physician’s approval, light work activity may be beneficial in preventing isolation and maintaining a sense of normality.
Italian law provides that workers with cancer (if certified as having a severe disability under Article 3(3) of Law 104/1992) and their caregivers are entitled to paid leave.
To obtain this, a request must be submitted to both the employer and INPS (National Social Security Institute), and arrangements should be agreed upon with the employer.
Co-habiting family members of individuals with severe disability certification may also request paid leave of up to two years, not necessarily consecutive (Art. 42, Legislative Decree 151/2001).
Workers with a cancer-related disability exceeding 50% may request up to 30 days per year of leave for medical treatment related to their condition (Law 118/1971 and Legislative Decree 509/1988).
Employees also have the right to request a transition from full-time to part-time work if their health condition requires it. After medical assessment by the local health authority (ASL), the request must be submitted to the employer, who cannot refuse it (Legislative Decree 81/2015, Art. 8). This benefit is also available, with priority, to family members caring for cancer patients (spouse, children, or parents).
Workers with a recognized disability of over 74% are entitled, for pension calculation purposes, to two months of figurative contributions for each year worked under disability conditions, up to a maximum of 60 months over their working life (Law 388/2000, Art. 80, para. 3). This applies to employment in both public and private sectors.
Right to access medical records
Throughout the diagnostic and treatment process, patients have the right to access their medical records. In case of hospitalization, they may request a copy of their medical file.
Right to informed consent
The right to health includes the freedom of self-determination in treatment decisions. Patients have the right to receive full and adequate information about medical treatments in order to make informed and voluntary choices.
Law 219/2017 (“Provisions on informed consent and advance healthcare directives”) states that no medical treatment may be initiated or continued without the free and informed consent of the patient, except in cases expressly provided by law.
The law also establishes the right to information, meaning that every person has the right to be informed—clearly, fully, and in an understandable way—about:
- Diagnosis
- Prognosis
- Benefits and risks of diagnostic procedures
- Benefits and risks of treatments and possible alternatives
- Consequences of refusing or discontinuing treatment or diagnostic procedures
Patients also have the right to refuse, in whole or in part, to receive such information, and to designate a family member or trusted person to receive this information on their behalf.