Abstract 4328
Background
The treatment of cancer has improved and many of the patients’ will return to work. Cancer treatments can have significant impact on work- and functional abilities creating challenges for return to work. Occupational health care services have an important role in supporting patients’ Return-to-Work-process. The purpose of the study was to a) explore cancer patients experiences on support received from occupational health services and b) explore how the services need to be developed.
Methods
Qualitative approach with thematic interview as data collection method was used to explore breast cancer patientś experiences (N = 8). The data was analysed by using thematic content analysis. Five of the cancer patients interviewed had already returned to work after cancer treatments and three were returning work in short period of time.
Results
The main challenges cancer patients confronted formed four categories; factors related to work, workplace, cancer and treatment types and to individual factors. The experienced support by occupational health services varied. The requirement to assess ability to work in the time of 90 sickness days was filled and planning the return-to-work in collaboration between occupational health care, cancer patient and employer occurred in most cases. However, otherwise, the role was passive and patients wished to have more contact with professionals working in the occupational health services.
Conclusions
Previous research highlights the need of collaboration between cancer patients and occupational health care services. Based on the study results, this collaboration needs to be enhanced. Occupational health care providers need to co-ordinate more actively the return-to-work -processes even the special health care is responsible for cancer treatments. From individual perspective, information, psychosocial support and regular evaluation of ability to work are forms of services cancer patient need from the occupational services for successful Return-to-Work. Results of this study can be used to developing occupational health services in national and international context.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Resources from the same session
3809 - Differential expression of various miRNAs in Pediatric Cytogenetically Normal Acute Myeloid Leukemia (CN-AML)
Presenter: Vikas Gaur
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4750 - Circulating tumour cells in head and neck and non-small cell lung cancer
Presenter: Kenneth O'Byrne
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3704 - OX40/OX40L protein expression in Non-small cell lung cancer and its role in clinical outcome and relationships with other immune biomarkers
Presenter: Xiaoshen Zhang
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2235 - Effect of Serum Survivin on Survival among Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients; NCI Experience
Presenter: Reham Rashed
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
2788 - Enhanced performance of prognostic estimation from TCGA RNAseq data using transfer learning.
Presenter: Helene Vanacker
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
4689 - Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA for Early Relapse Detection in Stage III Colorectal Cancer After Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Presenter: Samuel Jacobs
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
1454 - Ascites-derived circulating microRNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers of gastric cancer-associated malignant ascites
Presenter: Hye Sook Han
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
5574 - Results from TRIO030, a Pre-Surgical Tissue-Acquisition Study to Evaluate Molecular Alterations in Human Breast Cancer Tissue Following Short-Term Exposure to the Androgen Receptor Antagonist Darolutamide
Presenter: Hsiao-Wang Chen
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
1787 - JMJD2A is a novel epigenetic factor of chemotherapeutic susceptibility in gastric cancer
Presenter: Yasushi Sato
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract
3140 - Phase 2 study of olaparib in previously treated advanced solid tumors with homologous recombination repair mutation (HRRm) or homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD): LYNK-002
Presenter: David Hyman
Session: Poster Display session 3
Resources:
Abstract