Introduction > The growing number of people diagnosed with a cancer of working age prompts us to explore the sustainability of their working conditions and avenues of intervention in their work situations to promote sustainable job retention in a context of work intensification. Methods > Narrative review of the literature on people diagnosed with a cancer, their work situation, participation in the labour market, return to work (RTW) and sustainable employment. Results > Transformations in the world of work are increasing the unpredictability and variability of work situations, making strategies for managing functional deficiencies after diagnosis of the disease more complex. Reinforcing socio-technical and organizational leeways (STOL), i.e. self- regulation capacities to cope with the demands of the work situation by deploying effective and healthy work strategies, implies optimizing the (external) resources available at the level of the work situation through ergonomic actions and/or improving individual (internal) resources through supportive care or rehabilitation and/or vocational training. Discussion > Interventions to help people diagnosed with a cancer to stay at work in the long term must give primacy to the accommodation of the work situation and identify the ergonomic levers for improving their STOL.