Job loss and return to work of patients with cancer. A prospective observational study on 416 cancer patients.

Abstract

A prospective observational study started at the Medical oncology unit, Hospital of Piacenza (North Italy). All the patients between 18 and 65 years of age, diagnosed with early or metastatic cancer, admitted to the outpatient clinic, were analyzed for employment and work-related issues (job interruption, returning to work, job loss). A questionnaire with socio-demographic and job related information was submitted to each patient. From January 2015 to June 2017, 2,187 patients with a new diagnosis of cancer were admitted to the outpatient clinic, 550 patients (25.15%) were be-tween 18 and 65 year old, and 416 patients (75.64%) participated to the study. 278 (66.83%) women and 138 (33.17%) men, mean age 50.32±7.90 years (range 18-65), 39.18% were employees, 29.81% workers, 328 (78.85%) with subordinate job, the majority of patients had an high school or academic degree (63.46%). 196 (47.12%) patients had breast cancer, 85 (20.43%) gas-trointestinal cancer, 41 (9.86%) lung cancer, and 94 pa-tients (22.59%) had other cancer; 105 patients (25.24%) showed metastatic cancer and 134 (32.21%) had comor-bidity. After 6 months 178 patients (42.79%) interrupted their work, of these, 99 were women, 35.61% of the 278 female and 79 men, 57.25% of the 138 males, 69 worker (38.76%), 94 with low level of education (52.81%). The majority of patients (86.67%) with metastatic cancer, or treated with chemotherapy (61.60%), or with comorbidity (50.75%), left their work after 6 months from diagnosis. Only 22 of 178 patients (12.36%) in our series returned to work, of these, 20 (90.90%) were women, 17 with breast cancer (85%). Our findings suggest that there is a significant association between job loss and gender (male), low level of education/heavy works, advanced stage of cancer, chemotherapy and comorbidity. It is important that clinicians and institutions consider work-related issue in cancer patients and perform adequate organizational and normative interventions.