Unmet needs and problems related to employment and working as reported by survivors with metastatic breast cancer.
Support Care Cancer
; 30(5): 4291-4301, 2022 May.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35088147
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
By 2020, the US population living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has exceeded 165,000. A knowledge gap exists regarding the factors affecting work ability for these individuals. We sought to characterize the work status, importance of work, and work-related information needs for women living with MBC.METHODS:
We conducted an online survey using an MBC listserv and clinic flyers in 2014-2015. Respondents working at the time of MBC diagnosis were divided into "stably-working" and "no-longer-working" based on employment status at the time of survey. Comparisons were made with chi-square or two-tailed t test.RESULTS:
Respondents (n = 133) were predominantly non-Hispanic White (93.2%); 72 were stably-working, while 61 reported no-longer-working. Those no-longer-working were older (54.0 vs 49.5 years old, p < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.55), further from initial diagnosis of MBC (4.6 vs 3.3 years, p < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.36), and reported high rates of life interference due to MBC (n = 51, 83.6% vs n = 39, 54.2%, p < 0.01, Cramer's V = 0.32). Stably-working respondents considered work to be important (n = 58, 80.5% vs n = 18, 29.5%, p < 0.01, Cramer's V = 0.57); the top reasons cited were financial and/or insurance (80.4%), importance of staying busy (67.9%), and desire to support themselves and family (64.3%). The stably-working respondents more often valued information on how to talk with employers or co-workers about diagnosis (n = 38, 57.6% vs n = 16, 27.1%; p < 0.01), legal rights in workplace (n = 43, 65.2% vs n = 22, 36.7%; p < 0.01), when to think about stopping work (n = 45, 68.2% vs n = 18, 30%; p < 0.01), and applying for disability (n = 42, 63.6% vs n = 26, 42.6%; p < 0.05), when compared to no-longer-working.CONCLUSION:
The decision to stop working may represent a subsequent event driven by cancer progression. This research highlights the ongoing need of information targeting MBC to facilitate the management of employment and financial issues early in the MBC trajectory.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Neoplasias da Mama
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Support Care Cancer
Assunto da revista:
NEOPLASIAS
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos