Return to Work in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background: Return to work (RTW) significantly impacts the quality of life of cancer survivors and carries substantial economic and social implications. This study investigates the RTW rate among colorectal cancer patients post-surgery. Materials and Methods: Colorectal cancer patients referred to the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences oncology clinics were enrolled based on inclusion criteria and after obtaining oral consent. Each participant completed a checklist and a questionnaire on the quality of working life for colorectal cancer patients. The checklist included age, gender, insurance type, annual income, marital status, occupation, hospitalization duration, medical history, occupational profile, health status, and disease stage. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 57 patients were included, with 54 (94.7%) males. Forty-four patients (77.2%) returned to work in their previous or new roles. Among these, 27 (47.4%) worked full-time, 17 (29.8%) part-time, and 13 (22.8%) did not RTW. No significant relationship was found between RTW and factors such as age (p=0.116), gender (p=0.547), residence (p=0.333), insurance type (p=0.083), job type (p=0.526), history of chronic diseases (p=0.432), or cancer treatment method (p>0.999). However, significant correlations were observed between RTW and the quality of life questionnaire score (p=0.001), length of hospitalization (p=0.041), and annual income (p<0.001). Conclusion: Approximately 77% of colorectal cancer patients returned to work following treatment. Shorter hospital stays and higher income were associated with greater RTW rates. Additionally, the quality of working life questionnaire score was strongly correlated with RTW (p=0.001).