Factors related to return to work by women with breast cancer in northern France.
BACKGROUND
Earlier diagnosis and better treatment have increased the survival rates of breast cancer patients. This warrants research on return to work of cancer survivors, especially about subjective factors because they affect the mental desire to return to work. Moreover, knowledge in this issue is very limited in France.


OBJECTIVE
This study aims to explore the objective and subjective factors that affect whether and when women with breast cancer return to work.


METHODS
379 women with breast cancer aged 18-60 years who were working at the time of diagnosis responded to a 45 item questionnaire. The questionnaire had personal characteristics, disease-related characteristics and work-related ones. Multivariate logistic regressions were run to determine the association of these factors and return to work and time until return to work.


RESULTS
During a median follow-up of 36 months, 82.1% of the 379 women who had worked before their diagnosis returned to work after a median sick leave of 10.8 months. Older age, lower educational level, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, lymphoedema, psychological or organizational self-perceived constraints related to their former job, and the lack of moral support from work colleagues both limited and delayed return to work.


CONCLUSIONS
The resumption of work by women with breast cancer depends on many factors, not all of them medical. The self-perceived factors must be considered: first to help support these women during their sick leave, while taking into account elements that may hinder early return to work; second to initiate a work resumption support process which takes into account both the person and her environment.
Fantoni
Sophie Quinton
SQ
Department of Occupational Medicine, CHRU Lille, Université Lille 2, 1 Avenue Oscar Lambret, Lille Cedex, France. fanquin@wanadoo.fr
Peugniez
Charlotte
C
Duhamel
Alain
A
Skrzypczak
Joanna
J
Frimat
Paul
P
Leroyer
Ariane
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016272:Occupational Health; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018582:Sick Leave; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult