Work functioning trajectories in cancer patients: Results from the longitudinal Work Life after Cancer (WOLICA) study

Abstract

More than 60% of cancer patients are able to work after cancer diagnosis. However, little is known about their functioning at work. Therefore, the aims of this study were to (1) identify work functioning trajectories in the year following return to work (RTW) in cancer patients and (2) examine baseline sociodemographic, health-related and work-related variables associated with work functioning trajectories. This longitudinal cohort study included 384 cancer patients who have returned to work after cancer diagnosis. Work functioning was measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months follow-up. Latent class growth modeling (LCGM) was used to identify work functioning trajectories. Associations of baseline variables with work functioning trajectories were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. LCGM analyses with cancer patients who completed on at least three time points the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire (n = 324) identified three work functioning trajectories: "persistently high" (16% of the sample), "moderate to high" (54%) and "persistently low" work functioning (32%). Cancer patients with persistently high work functioning had less time between diagnosis and RTW and had less often a changed meaning of work, while cancer patients with persistently low work functioning reported more baseline cognitive symptoms compared to cancer patients in the other trajectories. This knowledge has implications for cancer care and guidance of cancer patients at work.

Work‐specific cognitive symptoms and the role of work characteristics, fatigue, and depressive symptoms in cancer patients during 18 months post return to work

“…All participants provided written informed consent. A detailed description of WOLICA has previously been reported . For this study, baseline, 6‐, 12‐, and 18‐month follow‐up data were used.…”

“…This study used data from the Work Life After Cancer (WOLICA) study, a longitudinal cohort study following 384 cancer patients aged 18 to 65 years, who have resumed work for at least 12 hours/week during or following cancer treatment. 19 Exclusion criteria are recurrent cancer, treatment with palliative intent, no paid employment for at least 1 year prior to cancer diagnosis, and not able to complete a questionnaire in Dutch. Occupational physicians asked potential participants during their regular visits if they were interested to participate in this study.…”

The Quality of Working Life Questionnaire for Cancer Survivors: Sufficient responsiveness for use as a patient-reported outcome measurement

“…As a result of focusing on the late effects of cancer and its treatment, researchers have studied adverse work outcomes (Mehnert, de Boer, & Feuerstein, ) by examining the unemployment risk (de Boer, Taskila, Ojajärvi, van Dijk, & Verbeek, ), income losses (Yabroff et al, ), time to return to work (Roelen, Koopmans, Groothoff, van der Klink, & Bultmann, ), factors associated with adverse work outcomes (van Muijen et al, ), and work functioning (Dorland et al, ; Tamminga, Verbeek, Frings‐Dresen, & Boer, ). However, few studies have addressed the experiences and perceptions of cancer survivors in the work environment, namely their quality of working life (de Jong, Tamminga, de Boer, & Frings‐Dresen, ).…”

“…2009), income losses (Yabroff et al, 2016), time to return to work (Roelen, Koopmans, Groothoff, van der Klink, & Bultmann, 2011), factors associated with adverse work outcomes (van Muijen et al, 2013), and work functioning (Dorland et al, 2017;Tamminga, Verbeek, Frings-Dresen, & Boer, 2014). However, few studies have addressed the experiences and perceptions of cancer survivors in the work environment, namely their quality of working life (de Jong, Tamminga, de Boer, & Frings-Dresen, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, with improved survival rates and less invasive treatment, it is expected that the employment rates of cancer survivors will improve, although they might suffer from late effects such as fatigue (Oerlemans et al, 2013). This higher employment rate will in turn lead to increased importance of studying on-the-job work outcomes such as work functioning (Dorland et al, 2017) and quality of working life.…”