Return to work in patients with head and neck cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Justin Yu; Justin Smith; Ravi Marwah; Oskar Edkins

doi:10.1002/hed.27197

Return to work in patients with head and neck cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Head Neck. 2022 Dec;44(12):2904-2924. doi: 10.1002/hed.27197. Epub 2022 Sep 19.

Authors

Justin Yu^{1

2}, Justin Smith^{1

3}, Ravi Marwah^{1

3}, Oskar Edkins¹

Affiliations

¹ Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
³ James Cook University, College of Medicine and Dentistry, Townsville, Australia.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this review was to determine the prevalence of return to work (RTW) amongst head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors and to determine its impact on quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and CINAHL in March 2021. Articles were included if they reported the number of patients with HNC receiving definitive treatment who were working at the time of diagnosis and returned to work.

Results: There were 21 articles deemed eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis suggested that 67% of patients with HNC who were employed at diagnosis RTW (95% CI 62%-73%, I² = 97.53%). Patients who RTW were demonstrated to have lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Conclusions: Return to work is an important clinical outcome which must be considered in the survivorship care of patients with HNC.

Keywords: Quality of life; head and neck; head and neck cancer; otorhinolaryngology; return to work.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Anxiety / epidemiology
Anxiety / etiology
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / therapy
Humans
Quality of Life*
Return to Work
Survivors