Differences in Long-term Employment and Health Outcomes Between Those with and Without Cancer

Abstract

Early detection of cancer and improvements in cancer management have made long-term survival a reality for many cancer survivors. However, surviving cancer may lead to considerable short-and long-term sideeffects resulting in work disability. The purpose of this project was to investigate differences in employment and health outcomes between long-term cancer survivors (>10 years since diagnosis) and their noncancer sibling controls using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Employment outcomes included employment status, full- or part-time status and retirement status. Health outcomes included number of days spent in bed, fatigue and self-reported health status. The results of this analysis showed significant differences in employment and health outcomes between cancer survivors and controls. Cancer affected health outcomes and retirement status although age and gender were also important factors. Future research should evaluate risk factors for work disability and the ability of human factors engineering/ergonomics to optimize the fit between the demands of the work system and the capacity of the survivor.