"Successful Return to Work for Cancer Patients, Prepare from the Time of Diagnosis"

Samsung Seoul Hospital Cancer Education Center Research Team
Proves Effectiveness of Customized Return-to-Work Program for Cancer Patients

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has found that active intervention from the time of cancer diagnosis is necessary to help cancer patients return to work.

Professor Jo Joo-hee and Professor Kang Dan-bi from the Cancer Education Center at Samsung Medical Center, along with Dr. Bae Ga-ryeong from the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, announced the effectiveness of the customized workplace return program "START" in the recent issue of the Korean Cancer Association's international journal Cancer Research and Treatment on the 26th.

START was developed based on the operational know-how of the Cancer Education Center, the first specialized cancer patient education institution established by Samsung Medical Center’s Cancer Hospital in Korea, and existing research. It provides video and leaflet educational materials that correct misunderstandings and prejudices about cancer patients returning to work, and offers both face-to-face and non-face-to-face counseling. During face-to-face counseling, the patient's condition and the work competencies required at the workplace are objectively assessed to help create a concrete return-to-work plan. A specialized nurse provides encouragement through three individual phone counseling sessions.

The research team verified the effectiveness of START through a multi-center randomized controlled trial conducted at Samsung Medical Center and Ajou University Hospital. As a result, there was a clear difference between the START participation group and the non-participation group. Approximately one month after the completion of face-to-face education, the return-to-work rate was 65.4% in the participation group, whereas the non-participation group showed a 55.9% return-to-work rate even two months after treatment completion.

This difference was analyzed to be mainly due to the confidence gained by dispelling patients’ own misunderstandings about returning to work after cancer. In an evaluation asking about information related to cancer patients returning to work, the START participation group scored an average of 7.4 out of 10, while the non-participation group scored 6.8. Notably, in this evaluation, only 21.2% of the participation group answered that working during cancer treatment was completely impossible, compared to 37.6% in the non-participation group, showing a significant difference.

Professor Jo Joo-hee, who led the study, said, "Not all cancer patients must quit their jobs unconditionally, nor is it always difficult to continue the work they were doing after treatment. If patients conduct appropriate self-assessment and preparation according to their physical condition after cancer treatment and job demands, they can maintain their work and return to the workplace."

Meanwhile, the Cancer Education Center at Samsung Medical Center conducts a workplace return support education program titled "Is it okay to work? Working healthily" once a month, led by specialized nurses for cancer patients. Similar programs are also operated at 12 regional "Cancer Survivor Integrated Support Centers" nationwide, including the National Cancer Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.