TITLE:
Job and housework during radiotherapy: Comparisons between leaving out activities and disease treatment
AUTHORS:
Cristiane Helena Gallasch, Neusa Maria Costa Alexandre, Sergio Carlos Barros Esteves
KEYWORDS:
Radiation Therapy; Cancer Survivorship; Return to Work; Occupational Health Nursing
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.6,
June
20,
2013
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 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.