Job and housework during radiotherapy: Comparisons between leaving out activities and disease treatment

Abstract

Background: Researches about work limitations related to cancer treatment and survival are recent. This study describes the characteristics of patients who keep their work and house work activities during radiotherapy, and comparison between some disease data and leaving out those activities. Methods: Data were collected from medical records of patients admitted in a Brazilian Radiotherapy Private Health Service. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, as hypotheses texts, Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Data of 111 individuals were presented; being 65.77% of workers of paid activities and 34.34% of careers of home. Between employees, 50.7% kept their job activities, and 92.1% between house workers. The association between absence from work activities and tumor type (primary or metastasis) and between absence and KPS (p < 0.05) were observed. Discussion: It is observed that breast, brain and lung tumors sig nificantly affect employees’ performance, causing the withdrawal of workers from their activities. Data from the literature review clearly demonstrated the importance of work activities in social support of the worker, but his overall performance may be impaired. Implications for cancer survivors: The study indicates the need for assessment of the individual, work or activity environment and required as well as the continuity research aiming at the development and validation of evaluation tools such as questionnaires or scales.