Do esophageal cancer survivors work after esophagectomy and do health problems impact their work? A cross-sectional study

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the occupational status and work impediments due to health problems in long-term esophageal cancer survivors.

Methods: The Short-Form Health and Labour Questionnaire (SF-HLQ) was sent to esophageal cancer survivors. Primary outcomes included the number of working esophageal cancer survivors and the patient-reported impact of health problems on work, as evaluated by the SF-HLQ. Patient and treatment characteristics were compared between survivors who worked and survivors who did not work at the time of follow-up after esophagectomy.

Results: The SF-HLQ was sent to 98 survivors and was completed by 86 of them. Of the 86 included survivors, 35 worked at the time of cancer diagnosis and 18 worked at a median follow-up of 48 months [range 23-87] after treatment. Survivors who worked at the time of follow-up were younger at the time of treatment when compared to survivors who had quit working after their cancer diagnosis (58.4 vs. 64.2 years, P = 0.006). Working survivors most commonly reported reduced work pace (44%), a self-imposed need to work in seclusion (33%), and concentration problems (28%) due to health problems at work. The majority of working survivors (93%) reported an efficiency score ≥ 8 on a scale from 1 (lowest efficiency) to 10 (highest efficiency).

Conclusions: Nearly half of the esophageal cancer survivors who worked at the time of diagnosis also worked at a median follow-up of 48 months after esophagectomy. Despite health problems impacting work, most esophageal cancer survivors reported high efficiency at work.

Implications for cancer survivors: Esophageal cancer survivors can often work with high efficiency, despite potential health problems.