Women 'more likely' to suffer work changes during chemotherapy

3rd July 2009

Females who receive chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to shift in status at work when compared to those undergoing radiation therapy, research has revealed.

Dr Michael Hassett of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and his colleagues discovered chemotherapy patients were at a 1.8-fold greater risk of taking early retirement or going on long-term disability than their counterparts being given radiation procedures, Reuters reports.

However, Dr Hassett told the news source that a large majority of those with the condition did "not experience a significant change in their employment after cancer diagnosis and treatment".

The study - which examined 3,233 women from a health insurance claim database – was published in the Cancer journal and found that 6.6 per cent of breast cancer patients encountered fluctuating employment conditions.

In recent news, a spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive stated that organisations have a legal and moral obligation to make sure the wellbeing of their employees is upheld.