Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 9/17/2008

Question
A man I recently started working with claims to have had an inoperable brain tumor for the past 7 years.  He is cranky, is said to have fits of anger to close to rage, and uses his 'tumor' as justification for his behavior.  I'm 3 years out a cervical cancer survivor, so I have sympathy, but I don't believe he has a brain tumor and has chosen to not have any kind of treatment in these 7 years.  Wouldn't he have lost some use of his faculties or worse without treatment or surgery?  He's convinced my boss to feel sorry for him and my boss have given him a home to live in and a 5 year old Lexus SUV, I think he's milking...

Answer
Depends on what kind of tumor it is. It can hardly be a really malignant brain tumor. If that had been the case he would have been gathered to his ancestors long ago! The type of behavior you describe may indeed be caused by some brain tumors. If his tumor is benign (for example a meningioma) or a very low grade (grade 1 to 2) malignant tumor (grade measures malignancy on a scale of 1 to 4 where 4 is highly malignant, the worst) it MAY be possible. I'm a Swede living in Sweden so I do not know what is legally possible to do where you are - wherever that may be. But here an employer can DEMAND a certificate of health written by a dr. that knows the employee well as a condition for (continued) employment and if there are health concerns there that interfere with the employment that employment can be terminated. Even if he has a tumor, not any kind of behavior of his can be tolerated in a
normal work place. And of course your suspicions may very well be true.