Effect of cancer diagnosis on patient employment status: a nationwide longitudinal study in Korea.
BACKGROUND
Cancer diagnosis may adversely affect employment status. Our aim was to investigate whether cancer diagnosis effects employment status by comparing employment status changes in cancer patients with to that of cancer-free workers over a 5-6-year period.


METHODS
All 25-55-year-old, non-self-employed, Korean workers who were diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2001 were identified as first baseline study subjects (n=4991). Of these, those who lost their jobs within 1 year of cancer diagnosis were selected as second baseline subjects (n=1334). Sex- and age-matched cancer-free individuals from the general population were used as a reference group. We compared the time until job loss from the first baseline and the time until re-employment from the second baseline between these two groups during the 5-6-year follow-up period while adjusting for sex, age group, job-type, and equivalent household income using the National Health Insurance administrative database.


RESULTS
Cancer patients were more likely to lose their jobs after cancer diagnosis and were less likely to be re-employed than cancer-free individuals in almost all sex and age groups. Most major cancer sites were also associated with decreased employment status, with the exception of thyroid cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Cancer diagnosis adversely affects employment status in Korea, and the effects are widespread in almost all sex and age groups. Significant efforts are needed to improve the employment status of cancer patients in Korea, as well as in developing or newly developed countries that have similar social security systems.
Park
Jae-Hyun
JH
Division of Cancer Policy and Management, National Cancer Control Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. jaehyun@ncc.re.kr
Park
Jong-Hyock
JH
Kim
Sung-Gyeong
SG
D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007723:Korea; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012943:Social Security; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data