Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Relation of Readiness for Return to Work and Return to Work Among Iranian Cancer Survivors

  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Return to work after completion of cancer treatments has many benefits for patients, families, and society. Readiness for return to work (RRTW) seems to be an effective factor for return to work in cancer survivors. Therefore, the present study was to investigate return to work and its relation to RRTW among Iranian survivors of cancer. This descriptive-correlational study examined a total of 227 survived cancer patients with completed primary treatments and without active cancer symptoms. Data were collected by the return to work and RRTW questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using SPSS software. Upon completion of initial treatment, 166 (73.2%) of survivor participants returned to work, of which 78 (34.4%) and 88 (38.4%) participants returned to full-time and part-time works, respectively. ANOVA test showed a significant difference between RRTW and the type of return to work. In addition, results of regression analysis revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between RRTW and the rate of return to work before and after the adjustment of variables (p ≤ 0.05). Considering the findings of the study, there is a necessary need planning for rehabilitation programs by nursing managers concerning these patients to facilitate their return to work.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Amoori N, Mirzaei M, Cheraghi M (2014) Incidence of cancers in Kuzestan province of Iran: trend from 2004 to 2008. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 15(19):8345–8349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Mohammadian M, Salehiniya H, Mohammadian-Hafshejani A (2017) Some facts on incidence and mortality of cancer in Iran. Iran J Public Health 46(10):1446–1447

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Dorland H et al (2016) Factors influencing work functioning after cancer diagnosis: a focus group study with cancer survivors and occupational health professionals. Support Care Cancer 24(1):261–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Siegel R et al (2012) Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2012. CA Cancer J Clin 62(4):220–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. De Boer A et al (2008) Work ability and return-to-work in cancer patients. Br J Cancer 98(8):1342–1347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Taskila T, Lindbohm ML, Martikainen R, Lehto US, Hakanen J, Hietanen P (2006) Cancer survivors’ received and needed social support from their work place and the occupational health services. Support Care Cancer 14(5):427–435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Torp S, Nielsen RA, Gudbergsson SB, Dahl AA (2012) Worksite adjustments and work ability among employed cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer 20(9):2149–2156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Radmard AR (2010) Five common cancers in Iran. Archives of Iranian medicine 13(2):143

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wen K-Y, Gustafson DH (2004) Needs assessment for cancer patients and their families. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2(1):11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jemal A et al (2011) Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 61(2):69–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Armaou, M., L. Schumacher, and E. Grunfeld 2017 Cancer survivors’ social context in the return to work process: narrative accounts of social support and social comparison information. J Occup Rehabil p. 1–9

  12. Helgeson VS, Cohen S (1996) Social support and adjustment to cancer: reconciling descriptive, correlational, and intervention research. Health Psychol 15(2):135–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Barre P et al (2018) Stress and quality of life in cancer patients: medical and psychological intervention. Indian J Psychol Med 40(3):232–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Rowland JH, Baker F (2005) Introduction: resilience of cancer survivors across the lifespan. Cancer 104(S11):2543–2548

  15. Rahmani A, Zamanzadeh V, Valizadeh L (2012) The process of inspiring hope in Iranian cancer patients. A grounded theory study Faculty Of Nursing and Midwifery. Tabriz Medical Sciences University, Tabriz

    Google Scholar 

  16. Timmons A, Gooberman-Hill R, Sharp L (2013) The multidimensional nature of the financial and economic burden of a cancer diagnosis on patients and their families: qualitative findings from a country with a mixed public–private healthcare system. Support Care Cancer 21(1):107–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Short PF, Vasey JJ, Tunceli K (2005) Employment pathways in a large cohort of adult cancer survivors. Cancer 103(6):1292–1301

  18. Schultz PN, Beck ML, Stava C, Sellin RV (2002) Cancer survivors: work related issues. AAOHN Journal 50(5):220–226

  19. Peteet JR (2000) Cancer and the meaning of work. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 22(3):200–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Spelten ER, Sprangers MA, Verbeek JH (2002) Factors reported to influence the return to work of cancer survivors: a literature review. Psycho-Oncology: Journal of the Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer 11(2):124–131

  21. Maunsell E, Brisson C, Dubois L, Lauzier S, Fraser A (1999) Work problems after breast cancer: an exploratory qualitative study. Psycho-Oncology: Journal of the Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer 8(6):467–473

  22. Kennedy F et al (2007) Returning to work following cancer: a qualitative exploratory study into the experience of returning to work following cancer. Eur J Cancer Care 16(1):17–25

  23. Ferrell BR, Grant MM, Funk B, Otis-Green S, Garcia N (1997) Quality of life in breast cancer survivors as identified by focus groups. Psycho-Oncology: Journal of the Psychological, Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Cancer 6(1):13–23

  24. Stergiou-Kita M, Rappolt S, Kirsh B, Shaw L (2009) Evaluating work readiness following acquired brain injury: building a shared understanding. Can J Occup Ther 76(4):276–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Stergiou-Kita M, Pritlove C, Holness DL, Kirsh B, van Eerd D, Duncan A, Jones J (2016) Am I ready to return to work? Assisting cancer survivors to determine work readiness. J Cancer Surviv 10(4):699–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Young AE, Roessler RT, Wasiak R, McPherson KM, van Poppel MNM, Anema JR (2005) A developmental conceptualization of return to work. J Occup Rehabil 15(4):557–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Franche R-L, Krause N (2002) Readiness for return to work following injury or illness: conceptualizing the interpersonal impact of health care, workplace, and insurance factors. J Occup Rehabil 12(4):233–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Iles RA, Davidson M, Taylor NF, O’Halloran P (2009) Systematic review of the ability of recovery expectations to predict outcomes in non-chronic non-specific low back pain. J Occup Rehabil 19(1):25–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Schultz I et al (2004) Psychosocial factors predictive of occupational low back disability: towards development of a return-to-work model. Pain 107(1–2):77–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Reiso H, Nygård JF, Brage S, Gulbrandsen P, Tellnes G (2001) Work ability and duration of certified sickness absence. Scandinavian journal of public health 29(3):218–225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Nilsson MI, Olsson M, Wennman-Larsen A, Petersson LM, Alexanderson K (2013) Women’s reflections and actions regarding working after breast cancer surgery–a focus group study. Psycho-Oncology 22(7):1639–1644

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Franche RL, Corbière M, Lee H, Breslin FC, Hepburn CG (2007) The Readiness for Return-To-Work (RRTW) scale: development and validation of a self-report staging scale in lost-time claimants with musculoskeletal disorders. J Occup Rehabil 17(3):450–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Mehnert A (2011) Employment and work-related issues in cancer survivors. Critical reviews in oncology/hematology 77(2):109–130

  34. Feuerstein M, Todd BL, Moskowitz MC, Bruns GL, Stoler MR, Nassif T, Yu X (2010) Work in cancer survivors: a model for practice and research. J Cancer Surviv 4(4):415–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Maunsell E, Drolet M, Brisson J, Brisson C, Masse B, Deschenes L (2004) Work situation after breast cancer: results from a population-based study. J Natl Cancer Inst 96(24):1813–1822

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Bradley CJ, Neumark D, Luo Z, Bednarek H, Schenk M (2005) Employment outcomes of men treated for prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 97(13):958–965

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. van Muijen P, Duijts SFA, van der Beek AJ, Anema JR (2013) Prognostic factors of work disability in sick-listed cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv 7(4):582–591

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. van Hakkaart-van Roijen, L. 1998 Societal perspective on tile cost of illness.

  39. Paltrinieri, S., et al. 2018 Return to work in European cancer survivors: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer p. 1–12

  40. Parvan K, Hosseini FA, Bagherian S (2018) The relationship between nursing instructors’ clinical teaching behaviors and nursing students’ learning in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Education for Health 31(1):32

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This is a report of a database from a Master of Science thesis approved by Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The authors wish to acknowledge all of the patients, whose contribution enabled the production of this article.

Funding

This study is the result of a research project supported by the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences to receive a master’s degree in nursing in Tabriz Nursing and Midwifery Faculty.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Sina Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mostafa Ghasempour, Reza Shabanloei, Azad Rahmani & Mohammad Khajehgoodari

  2. Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi

  3. Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Fariba Abri

Authors
  1. Mostafa Ghasempour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Reza Shabanloei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Azad Rahmani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Fariba Abri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mohammad Khajehgoodari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reza Shabanloei.

Ethics declarations

The Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences authorized the permission to conduct this study (ethical code no. is 5/4/4570). Informed consent was obtained from all these patients in accordance with the instructions of the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All of the authors have full control of all primary data and they agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ghasempour, M., Shabanloei, R., Rahmani, A. et al. The Relation of Readiness for Return to Work and Return to Work Among Iranian Cancer Survivors. J Canc Educ 35, 1237–1242 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01588-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-019-01588-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation