Effectiveness of a Tailored Work-Related Support Intervention for Patients Diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose The aim of this research was to study the effectiveness on return to work (RTW) of an early tailored work-related support intervention in patients diagnosed with curative gastrointestinal cancer. Methods A multicenter randomized controlled trial was undertaken, in which patients were assigned randomly to the intervention or the control group (usual care). The intervention encompassed three psychosocial work-related support meetings, starting before treatment. Five self-reported questionnaires were sent over twelve months of follow-up. Primary outcome was days until RTW (fulltime or partial) and secondary outcomes included work status, quality of life, work ability, and work limitations. Descriptive analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, relative risk ratio and linear mixed models were applied. Results Participants (N = 88) had a mean age of 55 years; 67% were male and the most common cancer type was colon cancer (66%). Of the participants, 42 were randomized to the intervention group. The median time from sick leave until RTW was 233 days (range 187-279 days) for the control group, versus 190 days (range 139-240 days) for the intervention group (log-rank p = 0.37). The RTW rate at twelve months after baseline was 83.3% for the intervention group and 73.5% for the control group. Work limitations did statistically differ between the groups over time (p = 0.01), but quality of life and work ability did not. Conclusion Patients in the intervention group seem to take fewer days to RTW, albeit not to a statistically significant extent.Trial registration Trial NL4920 (NTR5022) (Dutch Trial Register https://www.trialregister.nl ).

Feasibility of a multidisciplinary intervention to help cancer patients return to work.

This study evaluates feasibility of a multidisciplinary intervention combining occupational counselling with physical exercise to enhance cancer patients' return to work, assesses whether care providers and patients were satisfied with the intervention, and describes barriers to and facilitators of execution. Newly diagnosed cancer patients, treated with chemotherapy and on sick leave from (self-)employment participated. Patients received counselling from an oncological occupational physician (OOP), were assessed by a sports physician, and performed a 12-week training programme supervised by physiotherapists. Care providers completed registration forms to collect data on reach, dose delivered and received in executing the protocol and were interviewed about their satisfaction and barriers to and facilitators of execution. Patients completed three questionnaires on satisfaction and usefulness of the intervention. Fifty-six per cent of all patients were eligible (reach). In total, 123 patients participated. For all intervention components dose delivered exceeded 75%; dose received ranged from 49%-79%. Overall, patients and care providers were satisfied and perceived the intervention as useful. Care providers considered the intervention feasible, while execution was facilitated by highly motivated patients and impeded by physical limitations hindering exercise. It is feasible to conduct this multidisciplinary intervention in cancer patients during curative treatment. Patients and care providers were satisfied with the intervention.