Risk for unemployment of cancer survivors: A Danish cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether cancer survivors are at an increased risk for unemployment after cancer.


METHODS
A cohort of 65,510 patients who were part of the workforce in the year before diagnosis and a random sample of 316,925 age and gender-matched controls were followed for up to 20 years in a longitudinal register-based cohort study. Demographic, socioeconomic and health-related information were obtained through Danish administrative registers.


RESULTS
Cancer survivors had a small but significantly increased risk for unemployment following cancer. Stratified analyses showed that the risk for unemployment was highest amongst persons aged 50-60 years at time of diagnosis. Risk factors for unemployment were found to be manual work, medium income and vocational education.


CONCLUSIONS
Generally, cancer patients were at a small increased risk for unemployment and low socioeconomic position was a significant risk factor.
Carlsen
Kathrine
K
Department of Psychosocial Cancer Research, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, Copenhagen, Denmark. kathcarl@cancer.dk
Dalton
Susanne Oksbjerg
SO
Diderichsen
Finn
F
Johansen
Christoffer
C
D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health