The Impact of Testicular Cancer on the Work Lives of Survivors

Abstract

This study examines the impact of cancer on work among adult male survivors of testicular cancer. The sample consisted of 74 patients with cancer of the testis (median age, 30.0 years) who had completed treatment 2 to 10 years before the study. The results indicated that the cancer experience generally does not disrupt ability to work, job mobility, or career plans. The findings also suggested that work serves an important psychological function after treatment and that for a subgroup of survivors, it may provide a means of managing depression and anxiety. These findings have important clinical implications for intervention with adult survivors of this type of cancer, given the role that work has traditionally played in men's lives.