Affiliations: Center of Public Health Sciences, University of
Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland | Icelandic Cancer Registry, Reykjavik, Iceland | Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of
Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland | Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik,
Iceland | Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Center of
Expertise for Health and Work Ability, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether employment status and work
experiences, assessed in terms of job resources (organizational culture and
superiors' and co-workers' support), commitment to organization, work motives,
and experiences of discrimination, differ between survivors of prostate or
testicular cancer or lymphoma and cancer-free reference subjects. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 1349 male cancer survivors and
2666 referents in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. Valid responses were
59% and 45%, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)
were estimated with logistic regression models. RESULTS: Compared to the referents, survivors of lymphoma and
prostate cancer were less likely to be employed (OR=0.53; CI: 0.30–0.95
and OR=0.50; CI: 0.35–0.73, respectively), but decreased employment was
not evident among testicular cancer survivors. Testicular cancer survivors
experienced less discrimination at work than did the referents, for example,
testicular cancer survivors were less likely to report that their colleagues
doubted their ability to carry out their work tasks (OR=0.38; CI:
0.17–0.83). Lymphoma survivors were less likely than the referents to
praise their workplace as an enjoyable place to work (OR=0.48; CI:
0.26–0.88). The prostate cancer survivors were more likely than the
referents to find the organizational climate competitive, distrustful, and
suspicious. CONCLUSIONS: Employment participation and work experiences of male
cancer survivors varied substantially according to type of cancer. Occupational
therapists and other health care personnel should keep this in mind when
assisting cancer survivors in identifying their strengths and limitations at
work.
