A method for load control in uplink interference cancellation systems with soft decision is disclosed. It is determined whether interference is to be cancelled from a received signal based on a packet size of the received signal. If the signal is to be cancelled, a maximal correlation factor between an interfering portion and a useful portion of the received signal is determined based on a transport block size of the received signal. If the signal is to be cancelled, a reduced target load for a base station is also determined based on the maximal correlation factor. If the signal is to be cancelled, uplink transmit power for one or more wireless communication devices is adjusted based on the reduced target load.