Impact of breast cancer on employment in Mexico.

Abstract

e24219 Background: Women constitute 40% of the workforce in Mexico and are essential contributors to the household and national income. Understanding how BC impacts an individual’s work-life and how the workplace supports patients’ journeys is important to understand the economic burden of this disease. This study focuses on the changes in the employment status of Mexican BC patients after their initial treatment. Methods: An online survey was created and distributed throughout Médicos Investigadores en la Lucha Contra el Cáncer, a BC NGO, social media networks from July to November 2022. Patients with BC who had completed initial treatment and lived in Mexico were invited to participate. The survey consists of multiple-choice questions and the opportunity to explain certain responses. Results were analyzed and visualized using Excel and RAWGraphs. Results: A total of 73 participants completed the survey. The average age (range) of participants was 46 years old (26-66) and 50.7% reported living as a couple. 84% of patients had completed high school or higher education. Most participants had stage 2 (34%) or stage 3 disease (33%). Table 1 describes the employment status of the other 73 participants before, during, and after initiating treatment. 53% considered having the support of their colleagues and employer during their initial treatment. The rest considered that their work environment was indifferent (21%), offered no support (14%), or decided not to disclose their diagnosis (12%). Additionally, some patients commented about workplace discrimination because of their disease: “Customers wouldn’t purchase clothes because my lack of a breast disgusted them” (after a radical mastectomy) and “I was forced to quit because “it was better for me” and they were afraid I would infect them.” Financial necessity (45%) and a return to normalcy (33%) were the main motivators to return to work, and 14% did not wish to continue working at the time of the survey. Conclusions: After their initial treatment, the majority of patients in this study underwent changes in employment status or stop working altogether. A considerable portion of the participants did not feel supported by their workplace and some even faced discrimination due to their disease. Future studies need to be conducted to understand the physical and psychological aspects, and the employer and societal factors that limit cancer survivors’ successful return to work in Mexico. Advocacy and reform must be undertaken to decrease workplace discrimination and balance work-life and breast cancer care. [Table: see text]