TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictive factors for prolonged sick leave in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant therapies
T2 - a retrospective registry study
AU - Leskelä, Riikka-Leena
AU - Haavisto, Ira
AU - Pennanen, Paula
AU - Lahelma, Mari
AU - Mattson, Johanna
AU - Poikonen-Saksela, Paula
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Acta Oncologica Foundation.
Funding Information:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 777167.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Acta Oncologica Foundation.
PY - 2023/9/12
Y1 - 2023/9/12
N2 - Background: Being able to work during and after breast cancer treatments is important for patients to have a sense of normalcy, financial security, and improved quality of life, and for society due to the economic burden of sick leave. Factors influencing the length of sick leave can be sociodemographic factors, workplace adaptations, recurrences, symptoms, and type of treatment. The aim of this study is to analyse factors associated with prolonged sick leave after adjuvant breast cancer treatments. Methods: The population of this registry study consists of 1333 early breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated in Helsinki University Hospital between 2016 and 2018. Data on patient demographics, disease characteristics, treatment, and healthcare resource utilization were obtained from Helsinki University Hospital and data on income level and sick leave were obtained from Kela sickness benefits registry. Prolonged sick leave was determined as the patient accumulating 30 or more reimbursed sick leave days during a 60-day follow-up period after the end of active oncological treatment. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 26% of the patients in this study were on sick leave for 30 or more days after the active treatments ended. Study findings show that chemotherapy, triple-negative breast cancer, reconstructive surgery, amount of outpatient visits, and income are associated with prolonged sick leave. Independent predictors of prolonged sick leave were treatment line, number of outpatient contacts, reconstruction, and triple-negative breast cancer. Conclusions: Our study shows that prolonged sick leave affects a substantial number of working-age women with early breast cancer. Independent predictors for prolonged sick leave were all treatment-related. Targeted support for treatment-related side-effects already during the treatment period could lead to better recovery and earlier return to work.
AB - Background: Being able to work during and after breast cancer treatments is important for patients to have a sense of normalcy, financial security, and improved quality of life, and for society due to the economic burden of sick leave. Factors influencing the length of sick leave can be sociodemographic factors, workplace adaptations, recurrences, symptoms, and type of treatment. The aim of this study is to analyse factors associated with prolonged sick leave after adjuvant breast cancer treatments. Methods: The population of this registry study consists of 1333 early breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated in Helsinki University Hospital between 2016 and 2018. Data on patient demographics, disease characteristics, treatment, and healthcare resource utilization were obtained from Helsinki University Hospital and data on income level and sick leave were obtained from Kela sickness benefits registry. Prolonged sick leave was determined as the patient accumulating 30 or more reimbursed sick leave days during a 60-day follow-up period after the end of active oncological treatment. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 26% of the patients in this study were on sick leave for 30 or more days after the active treatments ended. Study findings show that chemotherapy, triple-negative breast cancer, reconstructive surgery, amount of outpatient visits, and income are associated with prolonged sick leave. Independent predictors of prolonged sick leave were treatment line, number of outpatient contacts, reconstruction, and triple-negative breast cancer. Conclusions: Our study shows that prolonged sick leave affects a substantial number of working-age women with early breast cancer. Independent predictors for prolonged sick leave were all treatment-related. Targeted support for treatment-related side-effects already during the treatment period could lead to better recovery and earlier return to work.
KW - 312,2 Cancers
KW - Breast cancer
KW - predictive
KW - prolonged sick-leave
KW - registry study
KW - return-to-work
KW - treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170713989&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/0284186X.2023.2254483
DO - 10.1080/0284186X.2023.2254483
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85170713989
SN - 0284-186X
VL - 62
SP - 1331
EP - 1337
JO - Acta Oncologica
JF - Acta Oncologica
IS - 10
ER -
