Hamlish Tamara, Foster Michelle L, Strom Sarah, Jaber Rana, Hughes M Courtney
Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
School of Health Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA.
BMC Womens Health. 2025 Feb 25;25(1):86. doi: 10.1186/s12905-025-03607-4.
A breast cancer diagnosis can impact every aspect of a woman's life, particularly for women diagnosed before age 45 when they are in the process of establishing stability in their personal and professional lives. This study investigated the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on employment, finances, and personal relationships among young breast cancer survivors.
We conducted descriptive statistical analysis of survey data from 315 women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 45. Surveys were administered electronically and included 40 questions on demographics asking about employment, insurance, income, and marital status at two time points: at diagnosis and at the time the survey was completed. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted. The McNemar-Bowker Test of Symmetry was used to calculate the significance of changes in employment, insurance, income, and marital status at the two time points.
We found significant changes following diagnosis in employment and insurance. Prior to diagnosis, 68.6% of respondents were employed full time, compared to 52.4% following diagnosis - falling from 212 to 162 respondents. Individuals who were unable to work increased by 14.6% after diagnosis, rising from 4 to 49 respondents. The decline in full-time employment was highest among those with a diagnosis of Stage IV cancer (33.9%), with the number of full-time worker respondents falling from 79 to 41. We found a significant change in insurance (p < .001) with a decline in individuals with private or no insurance of 4.7% and 3.4%, respectively, while those with public insurance increased by 8.1%.
Our findings suggest that young breast cancer survivors are particularly vulnerable to changes in employment, with more than a tenfold increase in the number of young women who reported being unable to work following diagnosis. Our findings also indicate a significant shift from private to public insurance, particularly for individuals living with Stage IV cancer. These results point to opportunities to address the specific needs of young women diagnosed with breast cancer and improve their overall quality of life.
乳腺癌诊断会影响女性生活的方方面面，对于45岁之前被诊断出乳腺癌的女性而言尤其如此，因为她们正处于个人生活和职业生涯趋于稳定的阶段。本研究调查了乳腺癌诊断对年轻乳腺癌幸存者的就业、财务状况及人际关系的影响。
我们对315名45岁之前被诊断出乳腺癌的女性的调查数据进行了描述性统计分析。调查通过电子方式进行，包含40个关于人口统计学的问题，询问了两个时间点的就业、保险、收入及婚姻状况：诊断时和调查完成时。进行了描述性分析和回归分析。采用麦克尼马尔-鲍克对称性检验来计算两个时间点就业、保险、收入及婚姻状况变化的显著性。
我们发现诊断后就业和保险方面有显著变化。诊断前，68.6%的受访者全职工作，诊断后这一比例为52.4%，全职工作的受访者从212人降至162人。诊断后无法工作的人数增加了14.6%，从4人增至49人。IV期癌症诊断患者中全职工作的下降幅度最大（33.9%），全职工作的受访者人数从79人降至41人。我们发现保险方面有显著变化（p < 0.001），有私人保险或无保险的人数分别下降了4.7%和3.4%，而有公共保险的人数增加了8.1%。
我们的研究结果表明，年轻乳腺癌幸存者在就业方面特别容易受到影响，诊断后报告无法工作的年轻女性人数增加了十倍多。我们的研究结果还表明，保险情况从私人保险显著转向公共保险，尤其是对于IV期癌症患者。这些结果指出了满足年轻乳腺癌诊断女性的特定需求并改善其整体生活质量的机会。
