The Impact of Diagnosis and Treatment of Rectal Cancer on Paid and Unpaid Labor

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Abstract
METHODS: Data were assessed prospectively in two samples of patients with primary rectal cancer, participating in a multicenter clinical trial, who were randomized to receive surgery with or without 5 × 5-Gy preoperative radiotherapy. For paid labor, 292 patients who indicated paid labor before treatment filled out quality of life questionnaires, which included questions on paid labor at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery. For unpaid labor, another sample of 92 patients also filled out the Health and Labor questionnaire, which included questions on unpaid labor, before treatment, and at 3 and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: From 3 to 18 months after surgery, paid labor resumption increased from 19 to 63 percent (P< 0.001). At 24 months after surgery, paid labor resumption was 61 percent. In a multivariate analysis, age older than 55 years (P≤ 0.001), lower education level (P≤ 0.003), shorter time since surgery (P< 0.001), preoperative radiotherapy (P= 0.02), lower valuation of overall health (P< 0.01), more physical symptom distress (P< 0.001), and more limitations in daily activities (P< 0.001) were all associated with less or later resumption of paid labor. The average amount of unpaid labor increased from 17.3 hours per week at 3 months to 21 hours per week at 12 months after surgery. In a multivariate analysis, only shorter time since surgery (P= 0.03) and male gender (P< 0.001) were related to less unpaid labor. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancer affect paid and unpaid labor. The impact on paid labor is most pronounced. Multiple other sociodemographic and quality of life-related variables also were associated with paid labor. Patient information and decision making on preoperative radiotherapy should include the effects on paid labor, and interventions focused on promoting paid labor participation in patients with rectal cancer should be tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of those patients. Supported by grant 97-026 from the Health Care Insurance Board, The Hague, The Netherlands, and by grant SWO 02-15 from the Dutch Digestive Diseases Society, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. aDepartment of Medical Decision Making, Leiden University Medical Center, J10-S, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands, e-mail: A.M.Stiggelbout@lumc.nl © The ASCRS 2005...

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