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Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer.

Sjövall, Katarina LU ; Attner, Bo LU ; Englund, Martin LU orcid ; Lithman, Thor ; Noreen, Dennis ; Gunnars, Barbro LU ; Thomé, Bibbi LU ; Olsson, Håkan LU orcid and Petersson, Ingemar LU (2012) In Supportive Care in Cancer 20. p.741-747
Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer. METHODS: Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer. RESULTS: Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the... (More)
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer. METHODS: Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer. RESULTS: Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the lowest increase. Irrespective of the form of cancer, cancer patients had significantly more sick days in the post-diagnostic phase compared to their reference subjects, ranging from 5 (prostate cancer) to 12 times the amount of sick days (colon and lung cancer). One year post-diagnosis, less than half of the cancer patients were on sick leave, except for lung cancer patients where 63% were still on sick leave. CONCLUSION: Sick leave among cancer patients seems related not only to the cancer diagnosis and its treatment but also to the prodromal illness in the pre-diagnostic phase, especially for forms of cancer with heavier symptom burden such as colon and lung cancer. Although cancer results in substantial increase in sick leave, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of cancer patients return to work within 1 year after the cancer diagnosis. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Supportive Care in Cancer
volume
20
pages
741 - 747
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000301525700009
  • pmid:21479789
  • scopus:84863489138
  • pmid:21479789
ISSN
0941-4355
DOI
10.1007/s00520-011-1142-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Nursing (Closed 2012) (013065000), Department of Orthopaedics (Lund) (013028000), Cancer Epidemiology (013007100), Oncology, MV (013035000)
id
ddb5be86-c6bb-4754-ae97-6ddb8a575c03 (old id 1937310)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21479789?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:35:09
date last changed
2022-03-15 19:57:06
@article{ddb5be86-c6bb-4754-ae97-6ddb8a575c03,
  abstract     = {{PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer. METHODS: Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer. RESULTS: Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the lowest increase. Irrespective of the form of cancer, cancer patients had significantly more sick days in the post-diagnostic phase compared to their reference subjects, ranging from 5 (prostate cancer) to 12 times the amount of sick days (colon and lung cancer). One year post-diagnosis, less than half of the cancer patients were on sick leave, except for lung cancer patients where 63% were still on sick leave. CONCLUSION: Sick leave among cancer patients seems related not only to the cancer diagnosis and its treatment but also to the prodromal illness in the pre-diagnostic phase, especially for forms of cancer with heavier symptom burden such as colon and lung cancer. Although cancer results in substantial increase in sick leave, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of cancer patients return to work within 1 year after the cancer diagnosis.}},
  author       = {{Sjövall, Katarina and Attner, Bo and Englund, Martin and Lithman, Thor and Noreen, Dennis and Gunnars, Barbro and Thomé, Bibbi and Olsson, Håkan and Petersson, Ingemar}},
  issn         = {{0941-4355}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{741--747}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Supportive Care in Cancer}},
  title        = {{Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1142-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00520-011-1142-8}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}