From treatment to return to work in chilean breast cancer survivors: a qualitative study

To explore the experiences, barriers to, and facilitators of return to work and work performance of Chilean breast cancer survivors.

An exploratory qualitative study with thematic analysis with stage I-III breast cancer survivors treated at the National Cancer Institute, Chile. All had paid jobs prior to diagnosis and returned to work within a year after completing treatment. Semi-structured interviews explored barriers to, facilitators of, and experiences of patients' return to work and work performance.

The mean age of the 15 participants was 49.4 years (25-59). Around 73.3% are in dependent employment, 40% have manual jobs, and 53.3% return to full-time work. Patients' experiences of returning to work were influenced by motivational factors, anxiety and fears, perception of health care, and coordinating job responsibilities with health care appointments. Barriers to returning to work were related to coping with physical changes and a distant relationship with the employer. Barriers to work performance were side effects of oncology treatments. Facilitators of return to work included support from mental health teams, a supportive network, enjoyment of work, positive coping style, and a close relationship with the employer. Good working environment and personal adjustments were mentioned as facilitators of work performance.

The findings suggest there is value in considering rehabilitative support as part of comprehensive, patient-centered cancer care for returning to work.