[Work disability criteria in breast cancer]. / Criterios de incapacidad laboral en cáncer de mama.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent neoplasia in women, with an increasing prevalence in Europe and also in Spain. Although the predominance over the male sex is clear, we should not forget the cases where men are affected, even more so when in this case the risks attached to the type of job become more important. The importance of the indirect costs of this illness arises from the high prevalence in people of working age, long periods of work disability, and permanent disability when the limitations are incompatible with the work activity once all the options of job readjustment and return to work have been exhausted. We will review the current criteria in order to establish some orientating guidelines that can be useful in the daily practice for Occupational Medicine professionals, General Practitioners and other specialists, always in collaboration with the medical teams from the National Health Service in charge of the evaluation of disabilities.