Factors Facilitating or Creating Barriers to Returning to Work in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Within the First 6 Months After Treatment

Abstract

Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who are unable to return to work after completing treatment might face financial loss and reduced self-esteem. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing a return to work in HNC cancer patients in the first 6 months after treatment. This cross-sectional study examined HNC patients who completed treatment from the outpatient radiation department of a single cancer center in northern Taiwan. Patients were assessed according to psychological distress, patient-perceived health status, barriers to returning to work, and facilitators of returning to work. Of the 106 HNC patients surveyed, 54.7% successfully returned to work. Barriers to returning to work included poor self-perception of health, greater psychological distress, and age ≥50 years. Patients who had higher psychological distress, returned to work after start of the pandemic, or received reconstruction surgery were less likely to experience a positive environment facilitating a return to work.

Factors in oral-related quality of life of betel quid users receiving oral mucosal screening: a cross‑sectional study in Taiwan

“…Arecoline dependence withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, tiredness, and difficulty concentrating [ 44 ]. In Taiwan, most BQ users are blue collar laborers [ 45 , 46 ], as were our study subjects. Hence, health professionals should educate such populations to perform regular physical exercise to overcome stress, motivate them to quit BQ chewing, and encourage them to regularly undergo oral mucosal screening.…”

Effects of a return to work program on the health and barriers to returning to work in head and neck cancer patients: A randomized controlled trial

“…Barriers to returning to work were measured using the Chinese-language version of the return to work barrier scale (RTWBS), 6 developed by Grunfeld et al. 23 This 17-item scale assesses two aspects of barriers to RTW: the impact of cancer and its treatment (9 items) and cognitive and emotional representations of illness (8 items).…”

“…3 Most HNC patients are labor workers, chew betel quid, smoke, drink alcohol, 4 are the family's primary wage earner, and have moderate to low socioeconomic status. 5 , 6 , 7 The adverse effects of treatment on HNC patients may cause physical inactivity, psychosocial distress, and perceived poor health status, resulting in barriers to returning to work (RTW). 5 , 6 …”

“… 5 , 6 , 7 The adverse effects of treatment on HNC patients may cause physical inactivity, psychosocial distress, and perceived poor health status, resulting in barriers to returning to work (RTW). 5 , 6 …”

“…Chiu et al. 6 revealed that the barriers to RTW for HNC patients were poor self-perception of health, greater psychological distress, and age ≥ 50 years.…”