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Lower Prevalence of Employment Seen for Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 12, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 10, 2024 -- Adult survivors of childhood cancer have declines in employment and increases in health-related unemployment compared with the general population, according to a study published online May 10 in JAMA Network Open.

Neel S. Bhatt, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study of five-year cancer survivors diagnosed at age 20 years or younger between 1970 and 1986 to examine longitudinal trends in employment. Sex-stratified employment status at baseline (2002 to 2004) and follow-up (2014 to 2016) was compared to rates from the general population.

The researchers found that the prevalence of full-time or part-time employment at baseline was 71.3 and 85.3 percent for female and male participants, respectively, and prevalence at follow-up was 64.8 and 77.3 percent, respectively; standardized prevalence ratios declined over time (from 1.01 to 0.94 for women and from 0.96 to 0.92 for men). There was an increase noted in the prevalence of health-related unemployment (11.6 to 17.2 percent for women; 8.1 to 17.1 percent for men); compared with the general population, the standardized prevalence ratio remained elevated and decreased over time (3.78 to 2.23 for women; 3.12 to 2.61 for men). Of the survivors who were employed fulltime at baseline, 19.2 and 12.8 percent of women and men, respectively, experienced a negative employment transition.

"A multidisciplinary approach that includes survivors, clinicians, and employers is likely needed to address long-term employment needs of cancer survivors," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted May 2024

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