Research Plus

Return to work after cancer

A prospective cohort study of 5,234 workers absent from work due to cancer finds that return-to-work (RTW) times are mostly dependant on occupational factors – especially employer size – rather than demographic factors. Time to partial RTW varied from skin cancer (median 55 days) to breast cancer (271 days) and lung cancer (377 days). RTW times were lower among younger workers, but were not significantly affected by gender, socioeconomic class or residential region. People in larger companies (>5,000 workers) returned much earlier (113 days) than those in small firms (<75 people; 217 days).

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation 2011; online first: doi: 10.1007/s10926-010-9274-0, http://goo.gl/L0Ri3

Tags cancer evidence based practice Return to work socioeconomic factors

Occupational Health at Work February/March 2011 (vol. 07/5) pp40