UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at the National Cancer Center in Korea on patients newly diagnosed with stomach, liver, or colorectal cancer. Patients were interviewed and asked to complete an employment questionnaire every 3 months for 24 months. Clinical, sociodemographic and work-related factors were assessed.

Results: 305 male patients who had a primary diagnosis of cancer and underwent treatment were included. Of the 305 male patients who were employed at the time of diagnosis, 53% lost their work, and 23% of those later returned to work. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, work loss was significantly associated with years of education, job characteristics, and disease stage. Return to work was significantly associated with disease stage and cancer site. Change of work status was common among cancer patients in Korea. With an understanding of the factors involved, it should be possible to reduce unnecessary work cessation and increase the rate of return to work of cancer survivors.