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Employment status and termination among survivors of pediatric brain tumors: a cross-sectional survey

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Abstract

Background

Some childhood cancer survivors experience employment difficulties. This study aimed to describe pediatric brain-tumor survivors’ employment status.

Methods

A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, with questionnaires distributed to 101 pediatric brain-tumor survivors (aged 15 years or older) and their attending physicians from nine institutions in Japan. We compared category and time-series histories for participants’ first-time employment using national census information. Factors related to delayed employment or early employment termination were examined using survival-time analyses.

Results

Excluding students and homemakers, 38 brain-tumor survivors (median age 27 years, with 15 years since diagnosis) were of working age. Of these, 12 (32%) were unemployed and 9 (24%) had never been employed. First-time employment occurred later for brain-tumor survivors than the general population, particularly in those with lower educational levels. The number of brain-tumor survivors whose first job was terminated within the first year was higher than that for the general population, particularly in male survivors and germ cell-tumor survivors. Brain-tumor survivors described their working patterns (irregular), job types (specialist or professional), reasons for early termination (unsuitable job), and thoughts about working (they wished to serve their communities but lacked confidence).

Conclusion

Brain-tumor survivors are associated with high unemployment rates and multiple unemployment-related factors. Education and welfare systems should identify individual methods of social participation for this group.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Grants from the Society for the Promotion of Science (Kakenhi Grant number 21659516) 2009Y2011, the Yamaji Fumiko Nursing Education and Research Foundation 2010Y2011, and the Children’s Cancer Association of Japan 2009. We wish to thank all participants and their attending physicians: Kohmei Ida, Kohei Fukuoka, Yasuji Miyakita, Namiko Nishida, Masao Matsutani, Kensuke Kawai, Tomonori Todo, Tsuyoshi Isojima, Jun-ichi Adachi, Kazuhiko Mishima, Tomoki Suzuki, Takamitsu Fujimaki, Kazuyuki Kitamura, Masahiro Shin, Kuniaki Saito, Sachiko Kitanaka, and Koji Takano.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Nursing, Division of Health Sciences and Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Iori Sato, Shiho Murayama & Kiyoko Kamibeppu

  2. Children’s Cancer Association of Japan, 1-3-12 Asakusabashi, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0053, Japan

    Akiko Higuchi

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Jikei University School of Medicine, Nishi-shinbashi 3-25-8, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan

    Takaaki Yanagisawa

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan

    Toshihiro Kumabe

  5. Department of Clinical Oncology and Neuro-Oncology Program, Cancer Treatment Center Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Kazuhiko Sugiyama

  6. Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Akitake Mukasa & Nobuhito Saito

  7. Sawamura Neurosurgery Clinic, North-7, West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0807, Japan

    Yutaka Sawamura

  8. Terasaki Neurosurgery Clinic, 754-1 Yamanoi, Chikugo, Fukuoka, 830-0031, Japan

    Mizuhiko Terasaki

  9. Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Soichiro Shibui

  10. Department of Neurosurgery, Uji Hospital Social Welfare Corporation, 54-2 Shibanohigashi, Gokanosho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Jun Takahashi

  11. Department of Neuro-Oncology/Neurosurgery, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka, Saitama, 350-1298, Japan

    Takaaki Yanagisawa & Ryo Nishikawa

  12. Pediatric Medical Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, 83 Kasuga-machi, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0024, Japan

    Yasushi Ishida

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  1. Iori Sato
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  2. Akiko Higuchi
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  3. Takaaki Yanagisawa
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  14. Yasushi Ishida
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  15. Kiyoko Kamibeppu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iori Sato.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review this if requested.

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Sato, I., Higuchi, A., Yanagisawa, T. et al. Employment status and termination among survivors of pediatric brain tumors: a cross-sectional survey. Int J Clin Oncol 23, 801–811 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-018-1279-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-018-1279-2

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