Predictors of Return to Work in Cancer Survivors in the Royal Air Force

Overview

Journal J Occup Rehabil

Publisher Springer

Specialties Occupational Medicine
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2014 Jul 21

PMID 25038986

Citations 5

Authors

Kenneth Murray

Kin Bong Hubert Lam

David C McLoughlin

Steven S Sadhra

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Return to work (RTW) is beneficial for cancer survivors, employers and society. However, little is known about predictors of RTW in the military environment.

Methods: A cohort of 194 Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel aged 18-58 who survived primary cancer treatment between 2001 and 2011 were followed up for 18 months. Information was obtained from occupational health and primary care records. Personal, occupational and clinical predictors of RTW were identified by Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results: The median sickness absence before RTW was 107 days. Six months after diagnosis 54 % of participants had RTW, and reached 80 % by 12 months. Time taken to RTW was predicted by age at diagnosis, rank, trade group, pre-diagnosis sickness absence, site of cancer, treatment modality, and prognosis. RTW at 18 months were predicted by higher rank (HR = 2.31; 95 % CI 1.46-3.65), and having melanoma (9.75; 4.97-19.13). Those receiving chemotherapy were significantly less likely to have RTW compared to other treatment modalities (0.18; 0.10-0.32).

Conclusions: Rank, cancer diagnostic group, and treatment modality are the most important predictors of RTW in cancer survivors in the RAF. These predictors can be used to inform rehabilitation programmes and decisions on RTW.

Citing Articles

Measures of Work-life Balance and Interventions of Reasonable Accommodations for the Return to Work of Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Review.

Buresti G, Rondinone B, Valenti A, Boccuni F, Fortuna G, Iavicoli S Saf Health Work. 2024; 15(3):255-262.

PMID: 39309276 PMC: 11410488. DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2024.07.001.

Factors in Removing Job Restrictions for Cancer Survivors in the United Kingdom Royal Air Force.

Murray K, Lam K, McLoughlin D, Sadhra S J Occup Rehabil. 2018; 29(1):25-30.

PMID: 29460091 DOI: 10.1007/s10926-018-9758-x.

Work Sustainability Among Male Cancer Survivors After Returning to Work.

Endo M, Haruyama Y, Muto G, Kiyohara K, Mizoue T, Kojimahara N J Epidemiol. 2017; 28(2):88-93.

PMID: 29093353 PMC: 5800885. DOI: 10.2188/jea.JE20160152.

Common Psychosocial Factors Predicting Return to Work After Common Mental Disorders, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Cancers: A Review of Reviews Supporting a Cross-Disease Approach.

Gragnano A, Negrini A, Miglioretti M, Corbiere M J Occup Rehabil. 2017; 28(2):215-231.

PMID: 28589524 DOI: 10.1007/s10926-017-9714-1.

Returning to work after sick leave due to cancer: a 365-day cohort study of Japanese cancer survivors.

Endo M, Haruyama Y, Takahashi M, Nishiura C, Kojimahara N, Yamaguchi N J Cancer Surviv. 2015; 10(2):320-9.

PMID: 26318185 PMC: 4801999. DOI: 10.1007/s11764-015-0478-3.

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