Work disability and its determinants in patients with pituitary tumor-related disease

INTRODUCTION: Pituitary tumors may have a considerable impact on patients’ functional status, including paid employment, yet research in this area is sparse. OBJECTIVE: To describe work disability and its determinants in patients treated for a pituitary tumor. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including patients treated for a pituitary tumor in the working age (18–65 years), who completed five validated questionnaires assessing work disability [Short Form-Health and Labour Questionnaire, Work Role Functioning Questionnaire 2.0 (WRFQ)], health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and utility (Short Form-36, EuroQoL) and disease burden (Leiden Bother and Needs Questionnaire-Pituitary). Additional data were extracted from the medical records (age, gender, tumor type, treatment, date of diagnosis) and self-reports (marital status, education, endocrine status). Associations of disease-specific and sociodemographic characteristics, HRQoL, and disease burden with (not) having a paid job were examined through multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: We included 241 patients (61% female, median age 53 years, median time since diagnosis 11 years), of whom 68 (28%) were without a paid job. Patients who had acromegaly, Cushing’s disease, (pan)hypopituitarism, radiotherapy, were single, less educated, lower HRQoL, and increased disease burden were more often without a paid job (p < 0.05). Among those with paid jobs, 41% reported health-related absenteeism in the previous year. The three work incapacitating problems reported by the largest proportion of patients were within the mental and social domain (WRFQ). CONCLUSION: Work disability among patients treated for a pituitary tumor is substantial. As impact on social functioning is high, it is strongly advised to incorporate work disability during clinical guidance of patients. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s11102-018-0913-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.