Return to Work and Mortality in Breast Cancer Survivors: A 11-Year Longitudinal Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally, primarily affecting women.
• Increasing incidence and survival rates necessitate understanding factors influencing quality of life post-diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze features affecting employment and return to work (RTW) among breast cancer survivors.
• To investigate the association between RTW and all-cause mortality in breast cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized national registry data (LID, TCR, NHIRD) for 23,220 newly diagnosed breast cancer employees (2004-2015).
• Employed Cox proportional hazards model to examine RTW correlations and Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis.

Main Results:

• Cancer stage, chemotherapy, and higher income were negatively correlated with RTW.
• RTW was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and improved survival across all stages.

Conclusions:

• Work-, disease-, and treatment-related factors significantly influence RTW in breast cancer survivors.
• RTW is linked to enhanced breast cancer survivorship and better overall survival outcomes.