Purpose <p>It remains unclear precisely how families specifically affect cancer survivors in the return-to-work process. This study aimed to delve deeply into the actual experiences and feelings of cancer survivors’ return-to-work within the context of their family environments.</p> Methods <p>From April to September 2024, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with cancer survivors from a general hospital in China using purposive sampling and following the principle of data saturation. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data.</p> Results <p>Eighteen cancer survivors were interviewed. Due to variations in family structure, family cohesion, and cancer-related knowledge, divergent perspectives naturally existed among families. Overall, family support experiences were conceptually categorized into two types: positive support experiences and negative support experiences. Thematic analysis identified three key themes and ten sub-themes within positive support experiences, whereas three key themes and nine sub-themes emerged from negative support experiences.</p> Conclusion <p>This study advances understanding of how family support shapes cancer survivors’ return-to-work transitions, which could provide a foundation for developing targeted family support interventions in future research.</p>