Factors Related to Return to Work in Women After Breast Cancer in Iran

Most women are diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) when they are still at the appropriate age for employment. The increasing survival rates of patients with BC call for more attention to their ability to return to work.

The aim of this study was to identify factors related to the return to work in Iranian women underwent BC treatment.

A total of 175 women with BC, who met the inclusion criteria, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The subjects were recruited from four hospitals affiliated to Mashhad university of medical sciences. These hospitals are oncology referral centers in eastern Iran. All records of employed women with BC were studied in four hospitals of Mashhad city, Iran, during 2000 - 2010. The researchers designed a questionnaire, which consisted of questions regarding social/demographic, health/disease, and work characteristics. The questionnaires were completed through interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 11.5.

The mean age of the patients at the time of interview was 44.3 ± 6.72 years. Mean age of "Return- to-work" group was 42.71 and "No return-to-work" group was 51.06. Most women (80%) were married. At the time of the interview, 80% had returned to work after a BC diagnosis. Older patients (OR = 0.796; 95% CI, 0.625 - 0.907, P = 0.002), and those with a great deal of work experience (OR = 0.861; 95% CI, 0.752 - 0.986, P = 0.030) were less likely to return to work. Also, women who had no pain or surgery scar (OR = 23.03; 95% CI, 4.53 - 117.02, P < 0.001) as well as those who had no lymphedema after the BC treatment were more likely to return to work (OR = 22.373; 95% CI, 4.04 - 23.892, P < 0.001).

The results of this study show the factors related to the return-to-work after BC treatment in working women in Mashhad city, Iran. These predictors should be taken into account in order to improve the patient's life quality.