title: Return to work and its relation to financial distress among Iranian cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Return to work after treatment completion is important for both cancer survivors and society. Financial distress is one of the factors that may influence the return to work in cancer survivors. However, this relationship has not been well investigated. This study aimed to determine the rate of return to work and its relation to financial distress among Iranian cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive-correlational study was undertaken among 165 cancer survivors who completed their initial treatments and had no signs of active cancer. The Return to Work questionnaire and Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being Scale were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After initial treatments, 120 cancer survivors (72%) had returned to work, of which 50 patients (42%) had returned to full-time work and 70 (58%) reduced their work hours and returned to part-time work. Cancer survivors also reported high levels of financial distress. In addition, the financial distress was lower among patients who had returned completely to work, in comparison to patients who had quit working for cancer-related reasons (p=0.001) or returned to work as part-time workers (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that a high percent of Iranian cancer survivors had not returned to their jobs or considerably reduced working hours after treatment completion. Accordingly, due to high levels of financial distress experienced by participants and its relation to return to work, designing rehabilitation programs to facilitate cancer survivor return to work should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Medical Surgical Department, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran E-mail : azad.rahmani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghasempour
authors.forename: Azad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.forename: Arefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davoodi
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sheikhalipour
authors.forename: Jamal Evazie
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ziaeei
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D062707:Return to Work / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000191:economics*; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult