Cancer survivors’ efforts to facilitate return to work

ABSTRACT

This study assesses individual factors that influence return to work (RTW) and in particular on the cancer survivors’ ability to prepare his/her job resumption. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 105 cancer survivors after at least 4 weeks after the time of their RTW. Various methods of returning to work were compared between occupational and medical characteristics with multivariate statistical tests. Regular contact by a cancer survivor with the company during sick leave is associated with RTW within 1 year of diagnosis (ORaj = 5.78). Optional pre-reinstatement visit with the occupational physician is associated with the absence of employee activity’s change (ORaj = 2.30). The cancer survivors who during treatment period ask for an adaption of treatment are more likely to have a change in working conditions (ORaj = 14.5). The adaptation to recovery conditions appears to be associated with survivors’ effort to RTW. It should be confirmed with new studies.

KEYWORDS:

• cancer survivor
• occupational medecine
• rehabilitation
• patients’involvement
• return to work

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the employees and the GIMS occupational physicians who participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.