The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on women’s work status.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 23-23
Author(s):  
Lucinda Barry ◽  
Leanne Storer ◽  
Meron Pitcher

23 Background: The diagnosis and treatment of cancer often causes financial stress, partly by impacting on the ability to continue in paid employment. Our aim was to identify changes in work status 12 months after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: An audit of the medical records of women who presented to the Western Health (Victoria, Australia) nurse led breast cancer Survivorship Clinic (SC) between October 2015 and October 2016 was performed to identify employment status at diagnosis and at their review at SC 12 months later. Results: 111 records were reviewed. The mean age was 55 (range 28-82yrs). 84 of these women (76%) were 65 years of younger at the time of diagnosis. 46 of the 84 women ≤65 years were in paid employment at diagnosis (55%), and 38 (83%) were still working in some capacity at review in the SC. Of the 38 still working, 28 were working in the same capacity, 8 were working reduced hours, and 2 were working increased hours. Women who had axillary dissections were most likely to have changed work status. Financial stress was reported by 8/19 of women who stopped working or had changed work hours, including 9 no longer in paid employment and 10 with changed hours. 2/28 women working in the same capacity reported financial stress. 65% of those who reported financial stress (11/17) had chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Conclusions: A breast cancer diagnosis has the ability to influence a woman's work status one year after diagnosis. Health professionals should appreciate the potential work concerns and financial stresses continuing to affect their patients.

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 120s-120s
Author(s):  
M. Fisher ◽  
L. Barry ◽  
M. Pitcher ◽  
L. Storer

Background: Many women diagnosed with breast cancer are of working age at the time of diagnosis, so the impact of a diagnosis and treatment regimen on their lives can cause financial stress-partly by impacting on their ability to continue in paid employment. The financial fallout from not working, changes in employment status and the hidden costs associated with cancer treatment can add to financial toxicity. Aim: Our aim was to identify changes in work status after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Our secondary aim was to determine if there was a correlation between different treatment modalities and work status at 12 month follow-up. Finally, we wanted to consider the role of treatment and change in work status on the financial stress experienced by patients after their diagnosis and treatment. Methods: An audit of the medical record of women who present to Western Health with a diagnosis of early breast cancer and consequently attended the nurse led breast cancer survivorship clinic (SC) between October 2015 and October 2016 was performed to identify employment status at diagnosis and at review in SC 12 months later. Results: 114 patients attended the SC in a 1 year period- 2 were males and both retired at diagnosis. The records of 111 women were reviewed. 46 of the 84 women < 65 years, were in paid employment at diagnosis. 38 of these 46 women were working in some capacity at 12 month review though only 28 were working the same, having decreased hours since diagnosis. 17 of the 111 (15%) women reported financial stress at the 12 month review. 9 of the 19 (42%) women with changed work status reported financial stress. 2 of the 28 (7%) women working the same hours reported financial stress. 14 of the 19 (74%) women who had changed work status had chemotherapy. 65% of those who reported financial stress (11/17) had chemotherapy as part of their treatment. 10/19 (53%) had changed or stop working since axillary dissection. Conclusion: Our data suggest that 83% of women returned to work in some capacity- most at the same level, and these women were unlikely to report financial stress. Women who returned to work at reduced hours, increased hours, or did not return to work at all were more likely to report significant financial concerns at one year postdiagnosis. Health care professionals as part of ongoing care should be aware of the financial impact a cancer diagnosis and its treatments, and should aim to refer appropriately.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1907
Author(s):  
Marion Voute ◽  
Véronique Morel ◽  
Dominique Joly ◽  
Christine Villatte ◽  
Elodie Martin ◽  
...  

The impact of psychosocial vulnerability on pain in the year following breast cancer diagnosis has been little studied. To identify a score of psychosocial vulnerability (cognitive, emotional, quality of life and precariousness parameters) as a predictor of a pain trajectory, we conducted an observational prospective study and included women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. One year follow-up with 3 visits (day of breast cancer diagnosis; 6 and 12 months) aimed to identify distinct pain-time trajectories. Baseline psychosocial vulnerability was characterized by z-score transformation, a higher score representing a more vulnerable patient. A total of 89 patients were included (59.3 ± 10.7 years). Two trajectories of pain were identified—“Transient Pain trajectory” (TP) (39/89 patients) and “Persistent Pain trajectory” (PP) (50/89). A significant difference of pain over time between trajectories (PP vs. TP at 6 months: 2.23 ± 0.23 vs. 0.27 ± 0.09, p < 0.001) was observed. Psychosocial vulnerability showed a large effect size (d, −0.82; 95% CI, −1.25 to −0.38; p < 0.001) and a higher score in “Persistent pain trajectory” (PP vs. TP: 0.12 ± 0.36 vs. −0.14 ± 0.26, p < 0.001). A predictive vulnerability marker of pain development is proposed and could be used at cancer diagnosis to orientate the care pathway of patients experiencing breast cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad H. Choobin ◽  
Vida Mirabolfathi ◽  
Bethany Chapman ◽  
Ali Reza Moradi ◽  
Elizabeth A. Grunfeld ◽  
...  

The psychological cost on emotional well-being due to the collateral damage brought about by COVID-19 in accessing oncological services for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment has been documented by recent studies in the United Kingdom. The current study set out to examine the effect of delays to scheduled oncology services on emotional and cognitive vulnerability in women with a breast cancer diagnosis in Iran, one of the very first countries to be heavily impacted by COVID-19. One hundred thirty-nine women with a diagnosis of primary breast cancer answered a series of online questionnaires to assess the current state of rumination, worry, and cognitive vulnerability as well as the emotional impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. Results indicated that delays in accessing oncology services significantly increased COVID related emotional vulnerability. Regression analyses revealed that after controlling for the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables, women’s COVID related emotional vulnerability explained higher levels of ruminative response and chronic worry as well as poorer cognitive function. This study is the first in Iran to demonstrate that the effects of COVID-19 on emotional health amongst women affected by breast cancer can exaggerate anxiety and depressive related symptoms increasing risks for clinical levels of these disorders. Our findings call for an urgent need to address these risks using targeted interventions exercising resilience.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Danbee Kang ◽  
Nayeon Kim ◽  
Gayeon Han ◽  
Sooyeon Kim ◽  
Hoyoung Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective This study aims to identify factors associated with divorce following breast cancer diagnosis and measures the impact of divorce on the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Methods We used cross-sectional survey data collected at breast cancer outpatient clinics in South Korea from November 2018 to April 2019. Adult breast cancer survivors who completed active treatment without any cancer recurrence at the time of the survey (N = 4,366) were included. The participants were classified into two groups: “maintaining marriage” and “being divorced,” between at the survey and at the cancer diagnosis. We performed logistic regression and linear regression to identify the factors associated with divorce after cancer diagnosis and to compare the QoL of divorced and nondivorced survivors. Results Approximately 11.1/1,000 of married breast cancer survivors experienced divorce after cancer diagnosis. Younger age, lower education, and being employed at diagnosis were associated with divorce. Being divorced survivors had significantly lower QoL (Coefficient [Coef] = −7.50; 95% CI = −13.63, −1.36), social functioning (Coef = −9.47; 95% CI = −16.36, −2.57), and body image (Coef = −8.34; 95% CI = −6.29, −0.39) than survivors who remained married. They also experienced more symptoms including pain, insomnia, financial difficulties, and distress due to hair loss. Conclusion Identifying risk factors of divorce will ultimately help ascertain the resources necessary for early intervention.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1223-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Lalayiannis ◽  
Nicky Asbury ◽  
Graham Dyson ◽  
Amanda Walshe

This study investigated how women with secondary breast cancer experience telling their adolescent children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at least 1 year prior to the interview. Seven women, who had at least one child between 12 and 19 years old living at home at the time of diagnosis, were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis for an in-depth understanding of women’s experiences. Women found that it was easier to tell their children of their secondary breast cancer diagnosis compared to their primary cancer. However, they talked about the impact the diagnosis had on their family.


2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. C. V. Thuné-Boyle ◽  
J. Stygall ◽  
M. R. S. Keshtgar ◽  
T. I. Davidson ◽  
S. P. Newman

2009 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahasin S. Mujahid ◽  
Nancy K. Janz ◽  
Sarah T. Hawley ◽  
Jennifer J. Griggs ◽  
Ann S. Hamilton ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea A. Thornton ◽  
Lisa Madlensky ◽  
Shirley W. Flatt ◽  
Robert M. Kaplan ◽  
John P. Pierce ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2078-2078
Author(s):  
Alan Baltz ◽  
Issam Makhoul ◽  
Eric R Siegel

2078 Background: The “Choosing Wisely” (CW) list, released by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), highlights low-value procedures. In 2012, the CW recommendations advised against the use of staging imaging, including Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computerized Tomography (CT) and radionuclide bone scans, for the staging of early breast cancer at low risk for metastasis. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the impact of the ASCO CW recommendations on staging imaging among early stage breast cancers. Methods: Women above the age of 66 with an early stage incident breast cancer diagnoses between 2010 and 2015 were identified within the linked SEER-Medicare data. The primary outcome of interest was the proportion of patients with a claim for staging imaging in the six months following the breast cancer diagnosis. Negative binomial regression, adjusting for pre-recommendation trends, was performed to estimate the changes in the rate of imaging staging within each year following the release of the recommendation. Results: A total of 50,004 women were identified during the study period. Prior to the release of the recommendations in 2012, the staging imaging rates among women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancers were 5% greater in 2010 (p<.01) and 4% greater in 2011 (p<.01). Following the release of the recommendations, staging imaging rates did not decrease significantly in 2013 (2%;p=0.18). Imaging rates did, however, significantly decrease by 13% in 2014 (p<0.01) and by 16% in 2015 (p<0.01). Conclusions: The CW recommendation was associated with a significant decrease in unadvised staging imaging among incident early stage breast cancer diagnosis in the second and third year following its release. These findings demonstrate an improvement in the proportion of potentially inappropriate staging imaging in early stage breast cancers. The creation and dissemination of resources, such as the CW recommendations, serves as a powerful tool to improve clinical practice, quality of care, and patient safety from secondary malignancies, anxiety, and overdiagnosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e12566-e12566
Author(s):  
Anna Skrzypczyk-Ostaszewicz ◽  
Agnieszka I. Jagiello-Gruszfeld ◽  
Jerzy Giermek ◽  
Zbigniew Nowecki

e12566 Background: This study discusses the analysis of the prospectively collected material on pregnant patients treated for breast cancer at the Department of Breast Cancer and Reconstructive Surgery of the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Oncology Institute - National Research Institute (until 2020: Oncology Center - Institute) in Warsaw, in the years 1995 - 2020. 84 patients were included into the final analysis and 72 children were assessed simultaneously. Methods: The paper summarizes information on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy, the course of pregnancy and childbirth and the birth parameters of children i.e. weight, length and Apgar score, as well as the dependencies between them, mainly the impact of some breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment process features on the newborns. The patietnt’s survavial - DFS ( disease free survival) and OS ( overall survival) - was also analyzed. The course of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment data were obtained from the patients’ medical documentation (medical records) and from information provided by the mothers during follow-up visits and read in the children's health books. In order to answer the research questions, statistical analyzes were conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 package. Results: In the analyzed period, the disease recurrence was recognized in 34 (40.5%) patients, and 24 (28.6%) patients died. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 12.3 years (147.5 months), and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached during the follow-up period. The estimated 5-year survival rates for DFS and OS were 57.9% and 74.5% respectively, and for 10-year survival - 51.4% and 64.5%. The study showed a statistically significant relationship between the baseline clinical advancement and DFS. It has been also analyzed how the diagnosis, treatment and method of pregnancy termination changed in two time periods (1995-2012 and 2013-2020). There were no statistically significant differences in survival - both DFS and OS - between the group of patients treated before and after 2012. In the assessment of the impact of some factors on the birth children parameters (weight and length), statistically significant results were obtained for: pregnancy advancement at diagnosis, breast cancer stage at diagnosis, pregnancy advancement at the start of chemotherapy, the chemotherapy regimen (classic or dose-dense), the number of cycles of chemotherapy given during pregnancy, and the number of drugs used in supportive treatment. Conclusions: The entire analysis has become not only an insightful characteristic of the studied group, but also these results may be important in everyday clinical practice and may help to optimize the management of an extremely complex and difficult situation, which is the coexistence of pregnancy with a malignant disease that threatens the mother’s life.


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