Cancer survivors' and employers' perceptions of working following cancer treatment

Earlier diagnosis and improvements in treatment survival rates have led to an increase in the number of cancer survivors for whom returning to work is a realistic outcome. However, cancer survivors face a number of challenges when returning to the workplace. Little is known about how patients' illness and treatment beliefs affect return to work or of employers' beliefs about the impact of cancer on work.

To determine patient and employers' beliefs about the impact of cancer on returning to work and to identify differences in the beliefs held by patients and employers.

Patients absent from work due to breast, urological, gynaecological or head and neck cancers completed a questionnaire within 4 weeks of completing treatment. Unlinked employer respondents from medium to large organizations completed the same questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on the perceived impact of cancer and its treatment on work and an adapted version of the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire.

One hundred and ninety four patients (response rate of 82%) and 252 employers (response rate 31%) completed the questionnaire. Organizational respondents consistently reported more negative beliefs about the impact of cancer and treatment on work and in general held more negative illness perceptions about cancer in relation to work.

A discrepancy between beliefs of organizational respondents and cancer survivors could impact on an employees' management of their work and on employers' responsiveness to the needs of survivors. Therefore, it is important that return to work plans include the elicitation of employee beliefs.