Table 1 Participant characteristics at baseline

n (%)

Mean ± SD

n (%)

Mean ± SD

 Age (years)

18–49

7 (29%)

6 (55%)

0.20

50–59

13 (54%)

5 (46%)

60–63

4 (17%)

0 (0%)

 Gender

Female

24 (100%)

10 (91%)

0.14

 Level of education

Low

1 (4%)

0 (0%)

0.79

Middle

10 (42%)

5 (46%)

High

13 (54%)

6 (55%)

 Cancer diagnosis

Breast

19 (79%)

9 (82%)

0.96

Colon

2 (8%)

1 (9%)

Other (bladder, prostate, ovarian)

3 (13%)

1 (9%)

 Time since most recent cancer diagnosis

(months)

10.0 ± 5.5

9.1 ± 3.1

0.61

 Treatment^a

Surgery

22 (92%)

10 (91%)

0.94

Chemotherapy

12 (50%)

10 (91%)

0.02

Radiation

11 (46%)

5 (46%)

0.98

Hormone treatment

9 (38%)

4 (36%)

0.95

Other (immunotherapy. Oxygen therapy, chemo flush)

3 (13%)

2 (18%)

0.66

 Duration of treatment

(months)

7.8 ± 4.2

7.9 ± 3.4

0.94

  “Experience type” cancer survivor [25]

An emotional cancer survivor

0 (0%)

2 (18%)

0.05

A cancer survivor who wants little attention for his or her health situation

8 (33%)

4 (36%)

A cancer survivor who starts looking differently at work and life

13 (54%)

2 (18%)

“I cannot judge”

3 (13%)

3 (27%)

 Workload

Physical (0–28)^b

4.0 ± 3.3

3.1 ± 3.0

0.44

Emotional (0–28)^b

6.5 ± 3.7

5.3 ± 3.6

0.38

 Position

Managerial position

6 (25%)

2 (18%)

0.66

 Gross monthly income

≤ €2000

3 (13%)

2 (18%)

0.95

€2001 – €3000

10 (42%)

5 (46%)

≥ €3001

8 (33%)

3 (27%)

Unknown

3 (13%)

1 (9%)

 Contract

Permanent

23 (96%)

10 (91%)

0.56

Hours

28.9 ± 8.4

29.1 ± 4.5

0.82

 Size of organisation

<  50 employees

3 (13%)

2 (18%)

0.33

51–250 employees

4 (17%)

4 (36%)

>  251 employee

17 (71%)

5 (46%)

 Sector

Non-profit

11 (46%)

5 (46%)

0.98

Profit

13 (54%)

6 (55%)

 Time working for current organisation

≤ 5 years

4 (17%)

2 (18%)

0.84

6–20 years

11 (46%)

6 (55%)

≥ 21 years

9 (38%)

3 (27%)

 Work-related support since diagnosis^a

Occupational physician

18 (75%)

9 (82%)

0.66

Re-integration services

0 (0%)

1 (9%)

0.13

Social worker

1 (4%)

2 (18%)

0.17

Supervisor

15 (63%)

7 (64%)

0.95

Colleagues

1 (4%)

1 (9%)

0.56

No work-related support

4 (17%)

2 (18%)

0.91

 Contact with employer since diagnosis

0 times

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

0.27

1–3 times

2 (8%)

0 (0%)

4–9 times

7 (29%)

6 (55%)

≥ 10 times

15 (63%)

5 (46%)

 Total duration sick leave

(months)

7.5 ± 3.3

8.4 ± 3.4

0.50

 RTW phase of cancer survivor [16]

Phase 1: disclosure

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

0.22

Phase 2: treatment

8 (33%)

5 (46%)

Phase 3: RTW planning

9 (38%)

1 (9%)

Phase 4: actual RTW

7 (29%)

5 (46%)

 Current work situation relative to that before cancer diagnosis^a

Changed working hours

10 (42%)

4 (36%)

0.77

Changed working tasks

4 (17%)

1 (9%)

0.55

Assistance at work

0 (0%)

2 (18%)

0.03

Changed workplace

2 (8%)

1 (9%)

0.94

Nothing has changed

7 (29%)

3 (27%)

0.91

Not applicable

2 (8%)

2 (18%)

0.15

 Successful RTW

RTW - Yes

14 (58%)

6 (55%)

0.83

      Success of RTW^c (1–6)^b

5.0 ± 0.7

5.2 ± 0.2

0.49

 Quality of working life^c

(0–100)^b

73.9 ± 9.3

72.9 ± 8.6

0.83

 Unwanted work changes

(relative to pre-diagnosis)

0.0 ± 0.0

0.0 ± 0.0

N/A