Navigating work after prostate cancer treatment: a systematic review of qualitative research

Prostate cancer treatment can disrupt working life, yet there is limited understanding of how men experience work during and after treatment. This review aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence on prostate cancer survivors' work-related experiences.

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for qualitative research reporting men's work experiences during or after prostate cancer treatment. Screening, quality appraisal, and thematic synthesis followed PRISMA guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD420251083779).

Eleven studies involving 302 men were included. Six themes emerged: return-to-work timing and trajectories; financial pressures; support systems; treatment side effects and stigma; adjustments and adaptations; and work identity, values, and priorities. Men described variable return-to-work pathways, influenced by treatment effects such as incontinence. Workplace and family support helped facilitate work participation, while men adapted responsibilities to accommodate health needs. Work held multifaceted meaning, serving as a source of identity and coping, although some men reprioritised their identities toward health and family goals.

Men's return to work after prostate cancer is shaped by treatment effects, workplace flexibility, and social support, within the workplace and from family and community support services. Evidence on interventions to support reintegration is limited, highlighting the need for tailored occupational and survivorship strategies.

Returning to work involves balancing personal health, workplace demands, and social responsibilities. Survivors can benefit from proactively communicating needs to employers, seeking tailored workplace adjustments, and leveraging support networks to sustain meaningful work participation.