A study conducted in Holland recently has concluded that one out of three American cancer survivors find themselves without a job after their cancer treatment, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lead Researcher and Assistant Professor of Occupational Health Angela de Boer said that rates of unemployment were highest in breast, cervical, ovarian and gastrointestinal cancer survivors. Survivors of certain blood cancers, testicular cancer, and prostate cancer had the least trouble securing employment following their course of treatment.
“Cancer survivorship is associated with unemployment,” de Boer stated. “Overall, cancer survivors were 1.4 times more likely to be unemployed.”
One factor that has led to an increase in the number of American cancer survivors are ongoing advancements in cancer treatment.
In fact, nearly half of all cancer survivors are under the age of 65, and once their treatment has come to completion, they want to go back to work.
Cancer survivors, says de Boer, are in a “more vulnerable position in the labor market.” An unfortunate trend has also emerged in the current American economy, and cancer survivors are “more at risk to become unemployed” as the overall unemployment rate in our country continues to rise.
For patients battling certain types of cancers that have an encouraging survival rate – including prostate, testicular and breast cancer – the likelihood of returning to work following treatment is a good one. For patients suffering from mesothelioma cancer, however, going back to work is often an unrealistic possibility.
Mesothelioma – one of the rarest forms of cancer – does not have a cure, and 99% of patients will lose their battle with this aggressive cancer in less than two years following initial diagnosis. Mesothelioma treatment options are typically a temporary means of controlling pain and symptoms associated with the disease. In many cases, the spouse of a mesothelioma sufferer will assume the role of full-time caregiver, and may end up losing or quitting their job.
The findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association were taken from 36 separate studies, 16 of which were conducted in the United States. Almost 21,000 cancer survivors were studied, as well as almost 158,000 “healthy” people.
Due to the high cost of health insurance and the extremely costly price of cancer treatment, many cancer patients find it difficult to cover their medical bills. Some, in fact, will opt out of treatment because they simply cannot afford it. A related study was presented at a conference focused on disparities in health care earlier this month.
Many groups focused on supporting and assisting cancer survivors, such as City of Hope, based out of Duarte, California, are making an effort to help survivors find employment once they finish their treatment.
