Employment and the common cancers: return to work of cancer survivors.
BACKGROUND
Support for the return to work of working-age adult cancer survivors is a major theme for occupational health professionals in Europe.


OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of the outcomes of recent European research in this field and discusses future research directions to explore and improve the return-to-work experience of cancer survivors.


METHODS
European research, principally from English and Dutch language journals, on the subject of return to work was reviewed.


RESULTS
Few European interventions have been developed and evaluated which enhance returning to work in cancer patients. They include a nurse-based intervention in the UK, a group rehabilitation programme in Sweden, rehabilitation programmes in Germany and a specialist-occupational physician intervention in Holland. Also described are current evaluation and research into models of occupational health support that seek to improve the experience of cancer survivors in their interaction with work. The development of evidence-based guidelines by the Dutch Society of Occupational Medicine is described.


CONCLUSIONS
Research within the European international scientific literature has begun to identify priorities for the successful rehabilitation of employees back to the workplace after cancer diagnosis.
de Boer
A G E M
AG
Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A.G.deBoer@amc.uva.nl
Frings-Dresen
M H W
MH
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D018582:Sick Leave; D012917:Social Adjustment; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology