Future sick leave, disability pension, and unemployment among patients with cancer after returning to work: Swedish register-based matched prospective cohort study

Abstract

Introduction: Despite increasing numbers of working-age cancer survivors, evidence on their future work-related circumstances is limited. This study examined their future sick leave, disability pension, and unemployment benefits compared to matched cancer-free individuals. Methods: A matched cohort study was conducted using nationwide Swedish registers. In total, 94,411 individuals aged 25 to 59 years when diagnosed with incident cancer in 2001–2012 and who returned to work after cancer were compared with their matched cancer-free individuals (N = 354,814). Follow-up started from the year before cancer diagnosis and continued up to 14 years. Generalized estimating equations were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR) and odds ratios for the difference between cancer survivors and matched cancer-free individuals. Results: Compared with cancer-free individuals, cancer survivors had six times higher sick-leave days per year after cancer (IRR 6.25 [95% CI, 5.97–6.54] for men; IRR, 5.51 [5.39–5.64] for women). This higher number of sick-leave days declined over time but a two-fold difference persisted. An approximate 1.5 times higher risk of receiving disability pension remained during follow-up. The unemployment days tended to be lower for cancer survivors (IRR, 0.84 [0.75–0.94] for men; IRR, 0.91 [0.86–0.96] for women). Risk of sick leave and disability pension was higher among those with leukemia, colorectal, and breast cancer than skin and genitourinary cancers. Conclusions: Cancer survivors who returned to work experienced a high and persisting sick leave and disability pension for over a decade. Prolonged receipt of a high amount of benefits may have long-term adverse impacts on financial circumstances; more knowledge to promote the environment that encourages returning to and remaining in work is needed.