Affiliations: Departments of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA | Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA | Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA | Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin
Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Mary E. Sesto, 2104 Engineering Centers
Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Tel.: +1 608 263
5697; Fax: +1 608 262 8848; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The effect of cancer on employment and retirement status
in an older work force is not well understood. This study examines whether
cancer survivors were less likely to be working than a sibling comparison
group. OBJECTIVES: To compare work-related variables between older cancer
survivors and a group of non-cancer sibling controls. A secondary objective was
to evaluate the effect of cancer site and time since cancer diagnosis on
work-related variables. METHODS: Data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) were used
to assess work outcomes in cancer survivors (+CA, n=539, mean age=65.81,
SD=4.75 years) and non-cancer sibling controls (-CA, n=539, mean age=63.95,
SD=5.31 years). RESULTS: Survivors (+CA group) were more likely to report not
working (61.8%) and to be completely retired (55%) than the -CA group (48.3%
not employed; 42% retired). Controlling for age, gender and education, this
effect persisted with the +CA group more likely to be not working (OR=1.40; 95%
CI=1.08 to 1.83) and completely retired (OR=1.36; 95% CI=1.05 to 1.77) than the
-CA group. Neither time since diagnosis nor cancer site affected work outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, older +CA survivors were less likely to
be working and more likely to be completely retired than -CA sibling controls.
Future research should evaluate factors affecting work status among older
cancer survivors.
Keywords: Older cancer survivors, survivorship, employment, retirement, work
