Return to work after upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery: questionnaire-based observational study

Return to work (RTW) is an important component of cancer survivorship. However, evidence on RTW after upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery remains limited.

We performed a questionnaire-based observational study between August 2023 and August 2025. Patients who underwent surgery with curative intent for upper gastrointestinal cancer, attended postoperative outpatient follow-up visits, and had been employed at the time of cancer diagnosis were eligible for this analysis.

Among 410 patients who completed the questionnaire, 207 had been employed at the time of cancer diagnosis. Of these 207 patients, 144 had returned to work (70%). Patients who returned to work were younger than those who did not (median age, 62.5 vs. 65.0 years; P = 0.013). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age was associated with a lower likelihood of RTW; however, this association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for employment status (full-time or part-time worker). The cumulative probability of self-reported RTW was significantly higher in patients aged < 65 years than in those aged ≥ 65 years (P = 0.011). Approximately 85% of patients who ultimately returned to work had resumed work by 6 months after surgery.

Most patients who ultimately returned to work did so within 6 months after surgery. RTW after upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery appears to be influenced by occupational and social circumstances; older age may serve as a proxy for these circumstances rather than an independent determinant of RTW, highlighting the potential value of individualized survivorship care and timely RTW support.