Return to work among breast cancer survivors: A literature review

Sun, Yidan; Shigaki, Cheryl L.; Armer, Jane M.

doi:10.1007/s00520-016-3446-1

Cited by 147 publications

(170 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Financial counseling that addresses options for the FMLA and for short‐term and long‐term disability may be warranted. Redesigning sick leave policies to better accommodate chronic disease needs has been previously suggested, and the current analysis supports patients’ perceptions that changes to these programs would reduce the economic burden after cancer.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Patient recommendations for reducing long‐lasting economic burden after breast cancer

Dean

Moss

Rollinson

et al. 2019

Cancer

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Background In the United States, patients who have breast cancer experience significant economic burden compared with those who have other types of cancers. Cancer‐related economic burden is exacerbated by adverse treatment effects. Strategies to resolve the economic burden caused by breast cancer and its adverse treatment effects have stemmed from the perspectives of health care providers, oncology navigators, and other subject‐matter experts. For the current study, patient‐driven recommendations were elicited to reduce economic burden after 1) breast cancer and 2) breast cancer‐related lymphedema, which is a common, persistent adverse effect of breast cancer. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 long‐term breast cancer survivors who were residents of Pennsylvania or New Jersey in 2015 and were enrolled in a 6‐month observational study. Purposive sampling ensured equal representation by age, socioeconomic position, and lymphedema diagnosis. Semistructured interviews addressed economic challenges, supports used, and patient recommendations for reducing financial challenges. Interviews were coded, and representative quotes from the patient recommendations were analyzed and reported to illustrate key findings. Results Of 40 interviewees (mean age, 64 years; mean time since diagnosis, 12 years), 27 offered recommendations to reduce the economic burden caused by cancer and its adverse treatment effects. Nine recommendations emerged across 4 major themes: expanding affordable insurance and insurance‐covered items, especially for lymphedema treatment (among the 60% who reported lymphedema); supportive domestic help; financial assistance from diagnosis through treatment; and employment‐preserving policies. Conclusions The current study yielded 9 actionable, patient‐driven recommendations—changes to insurance, supportive services, financial assistance, and protective policies—to reduce breast cancer‐related economic burden. These recommendations should be tested through policy and programmatic interventions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Patient recommendations for reducing long‐lasting economic burden after breast cancer

Dean

Moss

Rollinson

et al. 2019

Cancer

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“…With a prevalence of 78% of survivors returning to work with full or reduced working time 1 year after surgery, our German study population is in the middle of prevalences from other European studies ranging from 43% (the Netherlands) to 93% (United States) (Sun et al, ). It needs to be noted, however, that a substantial part of women with RTW had reduced their working time, and only 27% of all survivors were working full‐time after 5 years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…RTW might have changed over the last decades due to improved prognosis, better supportive care, changes in work perception or fluctuations in economic conditions. Available data suggest that many breast cancer survivors of working age go back to work, but the percentages vary widely from one country to another (de Boer, Taskila, Ojajarvi, Dijk, & Verbeek, ; Islam et al, ; Mehnert, ; Paltrinieri et al, ; Sun, Shigaki, & Armer, ). Differences between countries might be due to different socioeconomic and healthcare systems, but also different notions of employment among women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, barriers and facilitators for RTW might differ between countries. While overall there is a growing body of research on RTW (Bijker et al, ; Islam et al, ; Kiasuwa Mbengi et al, ; Paltrinieri et al, ; Sun et al, ; van Muijen et al, ), up‐to‐date information on the situation in Germany is scarce (Braybrooke et al, ; Heuser et al, ; Mehnert & Koch, , ; Noeres et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Return to work after breast cancer: The role of treatment‐related side effects and potential impact on quality of life

et al. 2019

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For breast cancer survivors return to work (RTW) is important from an economic, societal and personal perspective. Thus, we investigated the impact of side effects and other factors on RTW. Five years post‐diagnosis 135 disease‐free breast cancer survivors below retirement age who were employed pre‐diagnosis recorded their current and previous working status and reasons for impaired RTW. Patient‐reported outcomes were prospectively reported over the cancer continuum. One year post‐surgery 57% of survivors worked the same and 22% with reduced working time compared to pre‐diagnosis. Logistic regression revealed significant associations of depressive symptoms, arm morbidity, lower education and younger age with impaired RTW after 1 year, and persisting physical fatigue and living with partner with impaired RTW after 5 years. Major self‐reported reasons included fatigue and cognitive problems. Temporal patterns of general quality of life (QoL), physical, cognitive and role function, and financial problems were significantly worse among women with no RTW compared to those working again. In conclusion, cessation of work after breast cancer seems associated with worse QoL. Fatigue, psychological and cognitive problems as well as arm morbidity seemed to hinder RTW. Thus, a better management of these problems might help women to stay in working life.

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“…45 Over 50% of adult cancer survivors 46 and 65% of older adult survivors 12 experience persistent functional limitations many years beyond treatment. These decrements in functioning affect survivors' ability to work [47][48][49][50][51] and increase health care utilization and costs. 52…”

Section: The Growth Of Cancer Survivorship Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equitably improving outcomes for cancer survivors and supporting caregivers: A blueprint for care delivery, research, education, and policy

Alfano

Leach

Smith

et al. 2018

CA A Cancer J Clinicians

146

139

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Cancer care delivery is being shaped by growing numbers of cancer survivors coupled with provider shortages, rising costs of primary treatment and follow‐up care, significant survivorship health disparities, increased reliance on informal caregivers, and the transition to value‐based care. These factors create a compelling need to provide coordinated, comprehensive, personalized care for cancer survivors in ways that meet survivors’ and caregivers’ unique needs while minimizing the impact of provider shortages and controlling costs for health care systems, survivors, and families. The authors reviewed research identifying and addressing the needs of cancer survivors and caregivers and used this synthesis to create a set of critical priorities for care delivery, research, education, and policy to equitably improve survivor outcomes and support caregivers. Efforts are needed in 3 priority areas: 1) implementing routine assessment of survivors’ needs and functioning and caregivers’ needs; 2) facilitating personalized, tailored, information and referrals from diagnosis onward for both survivors and caregivers, shifting services from point of care to point of need wherever possible; and 3) disseminating and supporting the implementation of new care methods and interventions.

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Return to work among breast cancer survivors: A literature review

Abstract: Significant gaps are apparent in the literature addressing breast cancer survivorship and return to work. This is a complex problem and it will likely require interdisciplinary research teams to develop effective and feasible interventions for this population.

Cited by 147 publications

References 56 publications

Patient recommendations for reducing long‐lasting economic burden after breast cancer

Patient recommendations for reducing long‐lasting economic burden after breast cancer

Return to work after breast cancer: The role of treatment‐related side effects and potential impact on quality of life

Equitably improving outcomes for cancer survivors and supporting caregivers: A blueprint for care delivery, research, education, and policy

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