Survey of the support available for cancer survivors returning to work or continuing employment – the involvement of full time occupational physicians

Introduction
Because of recent developments in medical treatments, cancer is no longer necessarily a terminal disease. Instead, it can be a chronic one. For many people, work is an important part of social life, even if they are suffering from cancer. Therefore, to support those workers is one of the very important roles for occupational physicians (OPs). However, how an OP should support patients with cancer is unclear, owing to the lack of data about that matter.

Methods
In 2010, we interviewed five full-time OPs, certified by the Japan Society for Occupational Health (JSOH) and who work for large companies, about the current situation of support available for cancer survivors returning to work or continuing employment.

Results
In order to support cancer survivors, these experienced OPs, who also know about their enterprises well, suggested efficient considerations, such as reduced working hours and long-term care for disorders resulting from surgery. These considerations were formed on the basis of medical certificates issued by patients’ doctors and were feasible for the companies. But even those OPs were also troubled by some cases.

Discussion
Full time OPs can play a role in successfully getting workers back to work and accommodating the needs of workers. However, because OPs are not cancer specialists, there is a limit to what OPs themselves can do, regardless of their skill. Therefore, we have some room for improvement about how to support workers. We are planning to make a useful tool available for OPs to support those diagnosed with cancer. In 2011, we will send out questionnaires to about 400 OPs certified by the JSOH to devise the contents of the support tool. At the conference session, we will be able to show the intended contents suggested by the responses to the questionnaires.