A new study says that women who receive breast cancer treatment are likely to be unemployed four years later.
The study was conducted by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers which surveyed 2, 290 women in Detroit and Los Angeles who had been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer between 2005 and 2007. Approximately 1,500 women completed a four-year follow-up questionnaire. At the start of the study, 76 percent of the participants were working before they were diagnosed with the disease. Researchers noted that 30 percent of these participants were unemployed four years later. Women receiving chemotherapy were worst affected.
One reason behind this could be because many women take long-term leave from work while receiving breast cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy. This may lead to employment problems later. Additionally, chemotherapy treatments can cause long-term side effects such as neuropathy or cognitive issues, which might also affect job prospects.
"Many doctors believe that even though patients may miss work during treatment, they will 'bounce back' in the longer term. The results of this study suggest otherwise. Loss of employment is a possible long-term negative consequence of chemotherapy that may not have been fully appreciated to date," said lead study author Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil., associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School in a statement.
Researchers also pointed out that breast cancer survivors didn't quit their jobs voluntarily. A whopping 55 percent said that it was important that they worked to support their family while 39 percent admitted to actively looking for jobs after receiving treatment for their illness. Researchers found that the breast cancer survivors who were unemployed were in bad financial conditions too.
The findings focus on the need for physicians to develop better strategies that can help them identify patients less likely to benefit from chemotherapy.
"Many clinicians believe that although patients may miss work during treatment, they will 'bounce back' in the longer term. The results of this study suggest otherwise and highlight a possible long-term adverse consequence to adjuvant chemotherapy that may not have been fully appreciated to date," said Dr. Jagsi in a statement. "We also need to ensure that patients who are deciding on whether to receive chemotherapy understand the potential long-term consequences of receiving treatment, including possible implications for their employment and financial outcomes."
A study was conducted earlier this year which highlighted that though 20 percent of breast cancer survivors never return to work after receiving treatment, a whopping 81 percent of patients remain employed two years after treatment. Only 10 percent become unemployed.
This trend has been observed across patients with any type of cancer. A 2009 study highlighted that cancer survivors were 37 percent more likely to be unemployed compared to people not treated for cancer.
Breastcancer.org offers a detailed guide about how to work during and after breast cancer treatment. The suggestions include:
- talking to your boss and co-workers about your diagnosis
- working during treatment
- taking time off during treatment
- considerations for people who are self-employed
- looking for a new job during or after treatment
- recognizing and responding to workplace discrimination
The American Cancer Society estimates that 235,030 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,430 will die from the disease.
The current study was published online in the journal Cancer.
