Disability pension among gynaecological cancer survivors with or without radiation-induced survivorship syndromes

Adnan Noor Baloch; Mats Hagberg; Sara Thomée; Gunnar Steineck; Helena Sandén

doi:10.1007/s11764-021-01077-9

Disability pension among gynaecological cancer survivors with or without radiation-induced survivorship syndromes

J Cancer Surviv. 2022 Aug;16(4):834-843. doi: 10.1007/s11764-021-01077-9. Epub 2021 Aug 19.

Authors

Adnan Noor Baloch¹, Mats Hagberg², Sara Thomée³, Gunnar Steineck⁴, Helena Sandén²

Affiliations

¹ Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine at University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden. adnan.noor.baloch@gu.se.
² Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine at University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Box 500, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Division of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology, Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences at University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Purpose: Gynaecological cancer patients treated with external radiation therapy to the pelvis may face long-lasting and long-term gastrointestinal syndromes. The aim of this study was to assess the association between such radiation-induced survivorship syndromes and disability pension among gynaecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiation therapy.

Methods: This prospective register study included gynaecological cancer survivors (n=247) treated during 1991-2003, alive at the time of the study, and <65 years of age. In 2006, they completed a postal questionnaire measuring patient-reported outcomes. The self-reported data were linked to the national register on disability pensions. Relative risks and risk differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of being granted a disability pension were estimated using log-binomial regression.

Results: Gynaecological cancer survivors with gastrointestinal syndromes had a higher risk of disability pension than survivors without such syndromes. Survivors with blood discharge syndrome had a 2.0 (95% CI 1.3-3.2) times higher risk of disability pension than survivors without blood discharge syndrome. The relative risk among survivors with urgency syndrome was 1.9 (1.3-2.9) and for leakage syndrome, 2.1 (1.4-3.1). Adjusting for age did not affect our interpretation of the results.

Conclusions: Gynaecological cancer survivors with a specific radiation-induced survivorship syndrome have a higher risk of disability pension than survivors without that specific syndrome.

Implications for cancer survivors: The findings highlight the need for more awareness and knowledge regarding the potential role of radiation-induced survivorship syndromes for continuing work among gynaecological cancer survivors. Work-life-related parameters should be considered during radiotherapy and rehabilitation after treatment.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03961217.

Keywords: Cancer survivor; Disability pension; Faecal incontinence; Radiation-induced syndromes; Radiotherapy/adverse effects; Return to work.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cancer Survivors*
Disabled Persons*
Humans
Neoplasms*
Pensions
Radiation Injuries*
Risk Factors
Survivors
Survivorship

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03961217

Grants and funding

#233051/Västra Götalandsregionen