TITLE:
Work Productivity and Activity Impairment in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Capecitabine
AUTHORS:
Giulia Malaguarnera, Manuela Pennisi, Giuseppe Grosso, Marco Vacante, Salvatore Salomone, Filippo Drago, Michele Malaguarnera, Erdogan Ozyalcin, Massimo Motta, Valentina Raciti, Mariano Malaguarnera
KEYWORDS:
Capecitabine; Colorectal Cancer; Work Productivity; Activity Impairment; Absenteeism; Presenteeism
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.4 No.7,
August
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: Background: The employment status of workers with cancer has
important implications for impairment of intimate and family relationships and
for economic, social and psychological health. The aim of the present study was
to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy with capecitabine in patients with
colorectal cancer on work productivity and daily activity. Methods: 30 patients with primary diagnosis of stage III
colorectal cancer were enrolled for our study. All patients received
capecitabine twice daily at a cumulative dose of 2500 mg/m2 on days
1 -14 and repeated on day 22. Work productivity was
determined using the WPAI questionnaire. Results: We observed a significant increase in absenteeism after 1 cycle, after 6
cycles of therapy and at follow-up (p 0.001). On the
other hand, presenteeism, work productivity loss and daily activity impairment,
increased after 1 cycle and 6 cycles of therapy, but we could not find
statistically different significances. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment are associated with frailty and vulnerability.
Chemotherapy with capecitabine may result in negative consequences for job
performance.