Changes after cancer diagnosis and return to work: experience of Korean cancer patients

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients’ return to work is a growing aspect of survivorship care, yet limited studies have been conducted in Korea to understand the work-related experience of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to understand the unmet needs of cancer patients and identify the necessary factors to develop a vocational intervention program based on cancer patients’ work-related experience after cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Semi-structured individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 50 cancer patients who were working at the time of diagnosis at a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea from July to September of 2017. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: ‘The changes patients experienced after cancer diagnosis’ were categorized into Personal and socio-environmental changes. ‘Personal changes’ were changes within the patient that were further divided into ‘physical’, ‘psychological’ and ‘spiritual’ changes while ‘socio-environmental changes’ were changes in either ‘attitude’ and ‘relationship’ of other people cancer patients encountered. In addition to these post-diagnosis changes, the following 4 major factors related to return-to-work were identified to affect patients’ experience: ‘fear of cancer recurrence’, ‘financial status’, ‘informational support’, and ‘job-related work environment’. CONCLUSION: Cancer patients’ working status was determined by personal and socio-environmental changes after the cancer diagnosis which as well as psychological distress and practical issues such as fear of cancer recurrence, financial burden, and work environment. Educational materials and intervention programs informing patients on these changes and factors may facilitate their return-to-work after diagnosis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07812-w.