Cognitive, psychosocial, somatic and treatment factors predicting return to work after breast cancer treatment

Abstract

Chemotherapy is associated with longer periods of sick leave. Cognitive functions do not predict RTW. Independently of any adjuvant therapy, most women eventually RTW in a few months. The ability to predict RTW after BC treatment should help prepare higher-risk patients for delayed RTW and allow earlier interventions to restore their social relations and quality of life.

Quality of life, fatigue and changes therein as predictors of return to work during breast cancer treatment

“…Moreover, we did not detect any link between emotional functioning and RTW, thus confirming the results of Hedayati et al. . We hypothesised that high levels of physical functioning, role functioning and social functioning would drive RTW, but we did not find any evidence for this.…”

“…In contradiction of the results of Hedayati et al. , cognitive functioning has been identified as a RTW determinant for cancer survivors. An integrative review concluded that cognitive impairments had a deleterious effect on work‐related outcomes such as RTW .…”

“…Moreover, higher cognitive functioning was also associated with RTW at the end of adjuvant treatment, whereas Hedayati et al. did not detect any link between cognitive functioning and RTW 8 months after BC diagnosis. These results are interesting in that a recent integrative review highlighted the impact of cognitive impairments on work‐related outcomes after cancer and a qualitative study revealed that ability to manage the professional tasks is influenced by an awareness of cognitive impairment following chemotherapy .…”

“…To our knowledge, only one study has examined the impact of QOL on RTW during BC treatment . This study had a relatively small sample, but the results indicated that higher scores for physical functioning, role functioning and social functioning were all positively associated with RTW 8 months after BC diagnosis.…”

“…This study had a relatively small sample, but the results indicated that higher scores for physical functioning, role functioning and social functioning were all positively associated with RTW 8 months after BC diagnosis. Conversely, dyspnoea and sleep disturbance were associated with being on sick leave (8). However, other studies have shown that women with good perceived global health were more likely to RTW in the initial period after BC surgery (4) and to have returned 12 months after BC diagnosis (17).…”