title: The impact of side effects from outpatient chemotherapy on presenteeism in breast cancer patients: a prospective analysis.
abstract: In the field of occupational health services, productivity loss can be expressed by absenteeism (i.e., employees being absent from work and taking leave due to health problems) and presenteeism (i.e., a reduction in the ability to perform one's tasks at work). Similar to absenteeism, it is important to assess presenteeism because it can severely reduce productivity. Despite numerous reports about the impact of disease and medical treatments on presenteeism, there is a lack of data regarding the influence of medication side effects. In this study, a prospective analysis was conducted via questionnaire survey to clarify the influence of the side effects of anticancer drugs on presenteeism in workers receiving outpatient chemotherapy for breast cancer. Between December 2012 and November 2013, the influence of side effects on the quality of life, absenteeism, and presenteeism was investigated via a questionnaire conducted before and after 1 course of chemotherapy in 19 currently employed breast cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy for the first time at Gifu Municipal Hospital, Japan. The rate of absenteeism was 24.7 %, resulting in financial losses of 2002 yen/day (national statistical data) and 881 yen/day (our questionnaire data). The rate of presenteeism was 33.7 %, resulting in financial losses of 1354 yen/day (national statistical data) and 1263 yen/day (our questionnaire data). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between absenteeism and presenteeism (r = 0.687, p = 0.001), suggesting that the productivity losses associated with presenteeism due to the side effects of anticancer drugs in breast cancer patients are large and similar to that associated with absenteeism in these patients. Our results may be useful for improving the occupational health of workers receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4, Daigakunishi, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 501-1196 Japan ; Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4, Daigakunishi, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 501-1196 Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teramachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4, Daigakunishi, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 501-1196 Japan.
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizui
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4, Daigakunishi, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 501-1196 Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.affiliation: Community Health Support and Research Center, 15 Takehana-cho Nishikimachi, Hashima-shi, Gifu, 501-6242 Japan.
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu Municipal Hospital, 7-1 Kashima-cho, Gifu-shi, Gifu, 500-8513 Japan.
authors.forename: Chitoshi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goto
keywords: Absenteeism; Breast cancer; Outpatient chemotherapy; Presenteeism