Will I be able to work during my treatment?

Cheung, I. K. M., Ho, R. T. H., & Chan, C. K. P. (2015). Will I be able to work during my treatment?. In Annals of Behavioral Medicine (Ed.). Abstracts. 36th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Antonio, TX (pp. 229). Oxford University Press.

DOI

10.1007/s12160-015-9688-1

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/25121

Type

Conference Paper

Abstract

There is a common myth about work stress and the risk of cancer. Patients are always asked about the relationship between their job and the risk of cancer and the treatment effect. Most of them worried about their working conditions during the treatment, as well as its negative influence on the treatment results. In Hong Kong, some of the cancer patients would choose to quit their job and be focused on their cancer treatment. However, it may cause heavy financial strains and family stress. This research finding is aimed at disclosing the differences between working and non-working breast cancer patients on their physiological and psychological characteristics. Study: 139 breast cancer participants had been recruited from local hospitals and Cancer support organization. Participants were asked to fill in a set of self-reported questionnaires to study their psychosocial characters (stress, anxiety and depression), radiotherapy-related symptom cluster (fatigue, pain and sleep disturbances) and quality of life before and after the commencement of their radiotherapy treatment. Result: Out of 139 participants, 64 of them (46%) had no job or retired and 75 of them (54%) had full-time or part-time job. Result showed that there is no significant difference in psychological distress (anxious and depression), negative symptoms (fatigue, pain and sleeping disturbances) and overall quality of life between the working group and non-working group before and after their radiotherapy treatment. Working group patients were scored slightly higher in distress, anxious scores and depressive level when compared with Non-working group. However, the result was not significantly difference to be detected. Con clusion: The result maybe a revealed on that cancer patients may over worry about working during cancer treatment. Further psychosocial education would be needed in this area.Acknowledgement: This study is supported by the Research Grants Council General Research Fund (HKU745110H), Hong Kong Cancer Fund, Queen Mary Hospital and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

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Will I be able to work during my treatment?

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