Employment Outcomes Among Cancer Survivors in the United States: Implications for Cancer Care Delivery

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Janet S de Moor, National Cancer Institute, Rockville; Erin E Kent, University of North Carolina; Timothy S McNeel, Information Management Services, Inc.; Katherine Virgo, Emory University; Jennifer Swanberg, Providence College; Kathleen J Tracy, Univ Maryland; Matthew P Banegas, Kaiser Permanente Northwest; Xuesong Han, Emory University; Jin Qin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Karen Yabroff, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-05-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: Published by Oxford University Press 2020.
• License: Creative Commons Universal : Public Domain Dedication
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djaa084
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JNCI-JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
• Volume: 113
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 641
• End Page: 644
• Grant/Funding Information: Not applicable.
• Keywords: RETURN; RECOMMENDATIONS; WORK; Oncology; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Oncology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

The national prevalence of employment changes after a cancer diagnosis has not been fully documented. Cancer survivors who worked for pay at or since diagnosis (n = 1490) were identified from the 2011, 2016, and 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and Experiences with Cancer supplement. Analyses characterized employment changes due to cancer and identified correlates of those employment changes. Employment changes were made by 41.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 38.0% to 44.6%) of cancer survivors, representing more than 3.5 million adults in the United States. Of these, 75.4% (95% CI = 71.3% to 79.2%) took extended paid time off and 46.1% (95% CI = 41.6% to 50.7%) made other changes, including switching to part-time or to a less demanding job. Cancer survivors who were younger, female, non-White, or multiple races and ethnicities, and younger than age 20 years since last cancer treatment were more likely to make employment changes. Findings highlight the need for patient-provider communication about the effects of cancer and its treatment on employment.