Functional Impairments and Work-Related Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review.
Rimke Bijker, Saskia F A Duijts, Sherzel N Smith and 3 others
PMID 29086111WHAT IT FOUND
Breast cancer survivors' physical problems, especially limited shoulder and arm movement, were linked to poorer work outcomes.
Cognitive problems were reported by survivors but not consistently linked to work outcomes. Emotional issues affected work in interviews but not in measured outcomes.
Key findings
01Limited shoulder and arm movement was associated with reduced work productivity and longer time to partial return to work.
02Self-reported cognitive problems were inconsistently associated with work outcomes, while performance-based cognitive test scores were not consistently associated with return to work or work output.
03In qualitative studies, cognitive, physical and emotional problems were described as interfering with return to work and job performance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The included studies were observational or qualitative, so they show associations and experiences, not that treatment will improve work outcomes. The studies measured many different work outcomes and were conducted in different social security systems, so the results could not be pooled into one estimate. Most studies were cross-sectional, so they cannot show whether function changed before or after work problems. Some studies included mixed cancer groups, and none included male breast cancer survivors. Cognitive findings depended on the measurement method, with self-reported problems and performance-based tests giving different pictures. The authors did not weight studies by methodological quality when summarising results.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration; the publication metadata only notes non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that a specific rehabilitation programme improves return to work. The review summarised observational and qualitative studies of functional impairments and work outcomes, not tested interventions.