Objective To explore how convalescent cancer patients feel towards giving up on return-to-work. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 13 cancer patients based on phenomenological methods. Colaizzi′s seven-step method was used to analyze the data. Results Three themes were extracted, namely: resistance to work, fear of relapse; expect to work but blocked midway; enjoy the status quo and perish the thought. Conclusion Medical staff should pay attention to the real experience of cancer patients giving up on return-to-work, help them to establish a correct view of rehabilitation and employment, and develop persona-lized intervention measures, so as to promote the return to social life and full recovery of cancer patients.