Abstract
PurposeTo investigate the work situation of lung cancer survivors and to identify the factors associated with their returning to work.MethodsDescriptive analysis and logistic regression were used to evaluate study population characteristics and independent factors of subsequently returning to work. To analyze time to return to work, Cox regression was used.ResultsThe study sample included 232 lung cancer survivors of working age from 717 enrolled participants in the multi-center cross-sectional LARIS (Quality of Life and Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Lung Cancer Survivors) study. About 67% of the survivors were not employed during the survey. More than 51% of the survivors who were employed before their illness did not return to their work. The survivors who had returned to their careers were younger, associated with higher household income, lower fatigue score, and stable relationship and vocational training. Patients who received social service counseling showed a higher chance of regaining their career.ConclusionsLung cancer survivors were found to be associated with a high risk of unemployment and very low professional reintegration after interruption due to illness. More comprehensive studies are needed to support lung cancer survivors and targeting of patients in need of special attention in rehabilitation that would benefit from the findings in the present study.
Highlights
As treatment for lung cancer advances, the number of survivors is increasing [1]
Among lung cancer patients, there is a high risk of unemployment and early retirement compared to the general population [4]
To analyze the occupational status, the participants who were less than 65 years old at the time of diagnosis, whose information about returning to work was available and who had worked before the diagnosis, were included in this current analysis (Fig. 1)
Summary
As treatment for lung cancer advances, the number of survivors is increasing [1]. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) against programmed cell death 1 (PD-1/ L1) axis has to be proven to aid the probabilities of long-term survival for advanced lung cancer patients [2]. Concerns regarding improving survivors’ quality of life and functioning are drawing more attention. Among lung cancer patients, there is a high risk of unemployment and early retirement compared to the general population [4]. In a Norwegian and a Finnish cohort, the relative risk of unemployment was respectively 63% and 45% higher among lung cancer participants than in cancer-free patients [4]. Higher risk of unemployment was found in both gender [4]
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