Employment Outcomes Among Cancer Survivors in the United States: Implications for Cancer Care Delivery

Abstract

The national prevalence of employment changes after a cancer diagnosis has not been fully documented. Cancer survivors who worked for pay at or since diagnosis (n = 1,490) were identified from the 2011, 2016 and 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and Experiences with Cancer Supplements. Analyses characterized employment changes due to cancer and identified correlates of those employment changes. Employment changes were made by 41.3% (95% CI = 38.0% to 44.6%) of cancer survivors, representing over 3.5 million adults in the United States. Of these, 75.4% (95% CI = 71.3 to 79.2%) took extended paid time-off and 46.1% (95% CI = 41.6 to 50.7%) made other changes, including switching to part-time or to a less demanding job. Cancer survivors who were younger, female, non-white or multiple races/ethnicities, and <20 years since last cancer treatment were more likely to make employment changes. Findings highlight the need for patient-provider communication about the effects of cancer and its treatment on employment.