Work Ability Among Long-term Breast Cancer Survivors – Exploring the Role of Social Support in a Nation-wide Study

work ability (WA) is scarce. We aimed to identify factors, including social support, associated with excellent WA in a nation-wide population of long-term BCS. MethodsAll long-term BCSs (20-65 years) diagnosed with early-stage BC in 2011 or 2012 were identified by the Norwegian Cancer Registry in 2019 and invited to participate in a survey (n=2803). WA was assessed using the Work Ability Index. Factors associated with excellent WA were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographic-, health- and cancer related variables. ResultsThe final sample consisted of 926 BCSs with a mean age of 56 years at survey. WA was reduced from 8.9 (SD 2.3) at diagnosis to 6.3 (SD 3.1) eight years later. One in three BCSs reported poor WA, and seven out of ten reported that their physical WA was reduced due to cancer. Survivors with excellent WA reported high social support from supervisors and colleagues compared to BCSs with low WA. Additionally, cognitive impairment and fatigue were negatively associated with WA. ConclusionWA remains a significant challenge in long-term BC survivorship, with a substantial proportion of BCSs reporting poor WA eight years after diagnosis. Collegial support appears to be a protective factor for sustained WA, whilst survivors struggling with fatigue and cognitive impairments may represent a particularly vulnerable group for discontinued employment. Increased attention to WA in follow-up care is warranted.