Introduction: A large percentage of cancer survivors are in the workforce and it is important to understand their experiences and challenges in the workplace and work status changes.
Method: We utilized multivariate logistic regression to evaluate sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial measures as potential predictors of having at least one negative work-related experience and reporting a reduction in workload among cancer survivors 2 years post-diagnosis in the longitudinal Study of Cancer Survivors-I.
Result: Many cancer survivors (62%) reported having at least one negative work-related experience 2 years post-diagnosis; they were more likely to be male (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.32-2.18), have lower household income (>$80,000 vs. <$20,000; OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.35-0.79), be farther from diagnosis (OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.02-1.10), and have deteriorating physical (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.94-0.98) and mental (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.92-0.96) health. Among those employed full-time 1 year post-diagnosis, older age (65+ vs. <55; OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.18-6.24), negative work-related experiences (2+ vs. 0; OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.00-3.14), and deteriorating physical (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90-0.95) and mental (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.99) health were associated with reporting a reduced workload 2 years post-diagnosis.
Discussions: Several sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics were associated with negative work-related experiences and reduced workload in this population of cancer survivors who were working 1 to 2 years post-diagnosis. Additional research is needed to determine if these experiences and predictors are consistent in other cancer survivor populations.
Implications for cancer survivors: Being aware that some working cancer survivors may have negative work-related experiences and/or may not maintain full employment in later survivorship years may enable cancer survivors and employers to improve survivors' experiences at work.