Psychosocial factors associated with workability after surgery in cancer survivors: An explorative study

This study aimed to evaluate the work ability and its associated factors in patients with glioma (II, III) and breast cancer after 6 (T0) and 12 (T1) months from surgery. A total of 99 patients were evaluated with self-reported questionnaires at T0 and T1. Correlation and Mann-Whitney tests were used to investigate the association between work ability and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. The Wilcoxon test was used to investigate the longitudinal change in work ability. Our sample showed a decrease in work ability level between T0 and T1. Work ability was associated with emotional distress, disability, resilience, and social support in glioma III patients at T0, and with fatigue, disability, and clinical treatments in patients with breast cancer at T0 and T1. Work ability levels decreased in patients with glioma and breast cancer and were associated with different psychosocial factors after surgery. Their investigation is suggested to facilitate the return to work.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate the work ability and its associated factors in patients with glioma (II, III) and breast cancer after 6 and 12 months from surgery. A total of 99 patients were evaluated with self-reported questionnaires, and the results showed that work ability was associated with various psychosocial factors in both groups at different time points. The findings suggest that further investigation of these factors is needed to facilitate the patients' return to work.