Abstract PO5-11-06: Initial Results from a Cohort Study on the Impact of Breast Cancer on Employment in Mexican Patients
Authors: Ramirez-Cisneros Arantxa , Gonzalez-Sanchez David G , Vazquez-Juarez Daniela , Platas Alejandra , Platas Alejandra , Mesa-Chavez Fernanda , Carrillo Giovanni M. , Villarreal-Garza Cynthia 
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND

As breast cancer (BC) survival has increased, care must focus beyond the traditional role of curing a disease and provide further attention to patients’ quality of life. In Mexico, women represent an important part of the labor force; and the impact of BC diagnosis and treatment on patients’ employment status has not been thoroughly evaluated. This study shows the initial results of a nation-wide effort to understand the changes in the employment status of Mexican BC patients after their initial treatment.

METHODS

An online survey was created and distributed in June 2023 through the social media networks of Médicos e Investigadores en la Lucha Contra el Cáncer, a BC NGO. BC patients who had initiated treatment and lived in Mexico were invited to participate. The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions and the opportunity to explain certain responses. Results were analyzed using REDCap, Excel and SPSS.

RESULTS

67 patients completed the survey and were employed: 51% had a full-time job, 33% were self-employed, and 16% had a part-time job. Their average age was 50 years (25-68). Only 43% reported having medical insurance from their jobs; of these, 83% included cancer treatment.

Most participants (39, 58%) reported having support from their bosses and co-workers at the moment of diagnosis, 13 (19%) did not disclose their diagnosis in their workplace, 10 (15%) perceived an indifferent attitude, and 5 (7%) reported lack of support. Table 1 describes the changes in work status during their initial part of treatment (including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation).

After their treatment ended, from the 67 who were initially employed, 34 (51%) patients became unemployed, 26 (39%) were employed, and 7 (10%) were employed with temporary disability. Of the 26 employed patients, 12 (46%) had a full-time job, 7 (27%) had a part-time job and 5 (19%) were self-employed. Of those who were unemployed, 14 (41%) were actively looking for a job.

Of the 26 employed participants, 17 (65%) worked at the same place they did before BC diagnosis, 6 (23%) worked at a different place, and 1 (4%) had a second job. Reintegration for most patients was gradual (15, 58%) or immediate (7, 27%). The majority (18, 69.2%) felt supported by their workplace during reintegration. Of note, 11 (42%) patients described having to decrease their work hours/load.

When asked about their disease as an obstacle in their work, 8 (31%) patients had to slow down their job rhythm, 8 (31%) had to endure symptoms while working, 6 (23%) had no impediments, and 2 (8%) could only do partial work. Most patients (21, 81%) reported having permits to attend medical consultations or receive treatment, and 9 (35%) mentioned having salary discounts due to their medical appointments. The main motivations to return to work were economic need (11, 42%), returning to “normal life” (10, 39%) and personal growth (3, 12%).

Of the 67 patients that were employed before their BC diagnosis, 44 (66%) considered their current health status as an obstacle for their reintegration into the workforce. Moreover, 25 (37%) considered not having any limitations, but 20 (30%) and 14 (21%) reported physical and psychological limitations, respectively, as impediments to their successful reintegration.

CONCLUSION

BC can represent an obstacle when returning to “normalcy”, given the psychological and physical burden that the diagnosis and its treatment entail. In this study, half of the participants became unemployed upon finishing their BC treatment. This study represents the first necessary step to design strategies that favor the continuation and successful laboral reintegration of BC patients who wish to do so.

Table 1: Change of work status during BC treatment BC: Breast Cancer

Citation Format: Arantxa Ramirez-Cisneros, David G Gonzalez-Sanchez, Daniela Vazquez-Juarez, Alejandra Platas, Alejandra Platas, Fernanda Mesa-Chavez, Giovanni M. Carrillo, Cynthia Villarreal-Garza. Initial Results from a Cohort Study on the Impact of Breast Cancer on Employment in Mexican Patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-11-06.