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Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer.

Methods

Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer.

Results

Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the lowest increase. Irrespective of the form of cancer, cancer patients had significantly more sick days in the post-diagnostic phase compared to their reference subjects, ranging from 5 (prostate cancer) to 12 times the amount of sick days (colon and lung cancer). One year post-diagnosis, less than half of the cancer patients were on sick leave, except for lung cancer patients where 63% were still on sick leave.

Conclusion

Sick leave among cancer patients seems related not only to the cancer diagnosis and its treatment but also to the prodromal illness in the pre-diagnostic phase, especially for forms of cancer with heavier symptom burden such as colon and lung cancer. Although cancer results in substantial increase in sick leave, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of cancer patients return to work within 1 year after the cancer diagnosis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Musculoskeletal Research Centre (MORSE project) for the support by providing us National Insurance Agency Data. This study was also supported by the Department of Oncology University Hospital of Lund, the Southern Regional Health Care Committee, Region Skåne and the Swedish Insurance Agency.

Statement over conflict of interest

All the authors of this study certify that they have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Correspondence to Katarina Sjövall.

Additional information

Håkan Olsson and Ingemar I. F. Petersson contributed equally as senior authors.

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Sjövall, K., Attner, B., Englund, M. et al. Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer. Support Care Cancer 20, 741–747 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1142-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1142-8

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