Use of sickness benefits by patients with metastatic breast cancer—A Swedish cohort study

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and predictors of sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) in women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). METHODS: Data were obtained from Swedish registers concerning 1,240 adult women diagnosed 1997–2011 with mBC, from 1 year before (y−1) to 2 (y1) and 2 (y2) years after diagnosis. SA and DP prevalence was calculated. Odds ratios (AOR) were determined for factors associated with using long‐term (SA > 180 days or DP > 0 days) sickness benefits. RESULTS: Prevalence of SA and DP was 56.0% and 24.8% during y−1, 69.9% and 28.9% during y1, and 64.0% and 34.7% during y2, respectively. Odds of using long‐term sickness benefits were higher y1 and y2 in patients using long‐term sickness benefits the year before diagnosis (AOR = 3.82, 95% CI 2.91–5.02; AOR = 4.31, 95% CI 2.96–6.29, respectively) and y2 in patients with mBC diagnosis 1997–2000 (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.10–3.08) and using long‐term sickness benefits the year after diagnosis (AOR = 22.10, 95% CI 14.33–34.22). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sickness benefit utilisation was high and increased after mBC diagnosis, particularly for patients using long‐term sickness benefits prior to diagnosis. Additional study is needed to determine factors that might reduce the need for sickness benefits and enhance work ability in these patients.