Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Building Resilience in Breast Cancer, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
Psychooncology. 2022 Apr;31(4):606-613. doi: 10.1002/pon.5844. Epub 2021 Oct 29.
Work plays a central role in return to a more 'normal' life among women diagnosed with primary breast cancer. However, ongoing cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) and cancer-related sequelae continue to detrimentally impact workability. Only a few studies have explored the long-term consequences of CRCI and self-management coping strategies applied in the workplace. This study explored women's experiences of sustained post-treatment CRCI and its impact on workability beyond the initial return-to-work (RTW), as well as experiences of self-management coping strategies.
Forty employed women with a diagnosis of primary breast cancer who were between 6 and 60 months post-active treatment completed a semi-structured telephone interview. A 'framework' analysis approach was used.
Two superordinate themes were identified: 'Sustained consequences of CRCI' and 'Self-management coping strategies to support work-related performance'. We found that the impact of CRCI extends beyond the initial RTW. The adopted self-management coping strategies could provoke mixed emotions, including emotional distress. Reduced workability was experienced up to 5-years post-active-treatment.
Sustained CRCI induces negative emotions, fatigue and diminishes confidence reducing workability long into survivorship beyond RTW. The self-management coping strategies implemented to manage these sequelae generate mixed feelings, with some describing the strategies as problematic and of little benefit.
工作在原发性乳腺癌女性回归更“正常”生活中起着核心作用。然而，持续的癌症相关认知障碍（CRCI）和癌症相关后遗症继续对工作能力产生不利影响。只有少数研究探讨了 CRCI 的长期后果以及在工作场所应用的自我管理应对策略。本研究探讨了女性在治疗后持续存在的认知障碍及其对工作能力的影响，这种影响超出了最初的重返工作岗位（RTW），以及自我管理应对策略的经验。
40 名被诊断患有原发性乳腺癌且处于活跃治疗后 6 至 60 个月之间的在职女性完成了半结构化电话访谈。采用“框架”分析方法。
确定了两个上位主题：“CRCI 的持续后果”和“支持与工作相关表现的自我管理应对策略”。我们发现，CRCI 的影响超出了最初的 RTW。采用的自我管理应对策略可能会引发混合情绪，包括情绪困扰。在积极治疗后 5 年内，工作能力下降。
持续的 CRCI 会引起负面情绪、疲劳和信心下降，从而降低工作能力，这种情况在 RTW 之后的生存期间会持续很长时间。为了应对这些后遗症而采取的自我管理应对策略会产生复杂的感觉，有些人认为这些策略存在问题，没有什么好处。
