[Return to Work after Cancer - a Systematic Review of Predictors in Germany]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Occupational Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Over one-third of cancer survivors are of working age, making return to work (RTW) a significant concern.
• Cancer survivors face numerous challenges in returning to work post-treatment.
• Understanding predictors of RTW is crucial for supporting this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and identify predictors of return to work after cancer.
• To focus specifically on the German context and analyze factors chronologically within the cancer treatment course.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed in June 2022.
• Included studies were published between 2000 and 2022, in German or English, and focused on German samples.
• 30 publications were selected from 8,381 initial hits for synthesis.

Main Results:

• Factors associated with a lower likelihood of RTW include higher age, lower education/socioeconomic status, advanced disease stage, severe side effects, fatigue, and psychological distress.
• Negative perceptions of the work environment, lower intention to work, and poor self-rated employability also predicted lower RTW rates.
• Treatment type, rehabilitation use, occupational status (blue collar/manual labor), and prior unemployment were also identified as significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Identified sociodemographic, disease-related, psychosocial, and work-related predictors can inform targeted support measures for cancer survivors in Germany.
• The heterogeneity in operationalization and methodology across studies limits comparability.
• Further standardization in defining and measuring RTW predictors is needed.