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Background. To evaluate work status at three months after radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) in relation to socio-demographics, urinary incontinence and bother, medical complications health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and surgical methods. To identify pre-RP available factors that can predict the duration of immediate post-RP sick leave. Material and methods. This prospective questionnaire-based study included 264 men with PCa < 65 years, who were active in the work force before RP. Urinary incontinence and bother were assessed using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-50 (EPIC-50). HRQOL was measured using SF-12. Medical complications comprised self- reported new morbidities and re-hospitalizations within three months after RP. Patients' work status was defined as either 'stable/improved' or 'declined' at three months compared to work status at baseline. Duration of immediate post-RP sick leave was considered as prolonged when lasting > 6 weeks. Associations were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Results. Almost 30% of the patients had declined work status three months after RP. Change of physical HRQOL was the only factor remaining significantly associated with declined work status in the multivariate analysis. Half of the patients had prolonged immediate sick leave. Having physically strenuous work was the strongest predictor for this outcome. Conclusions. Long periods of sick leave and reduced workforce participation after RP should be considered potential adverse effects of this treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To investigate long-term development of sickness absence and disability pension among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared to matched cancer-free controls, and to assess to what degree socio-demographic and disease characteristics influence these outcomes. Patients and methods. In a register-based cohort study with data from the Cancer Registry of Norway and longitudinal data from other national registries, 740 patients with CRC diagnosed 1992-1996 at the age 45-54 years were observed up to 14 years post-diagnosis. Also 740 matched controls were observed over the same time period. Results. During the first year after diagnosis, 85% of the CRC survivors were on sick-leave at some point, compared to 19% of the controls. Among survivors with localized cancer, 21% were on sick-leave 12 months after diagnosis, versus 33% with regional, and 52% with distant cancer. Survivors with rectum cancer were more likely than colon cancer survivors to be on sick-leave the first year after diagnosis (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.61-3.98). CRC survivors were at higher risk for disability pension (DP) than controls, depending on extent of disease. Hazard ratios for DP were 1.67 (95% CI 1.13-2.46) for survivors with localized cancer, 3.12 (95% CI 2.06-4.72) for regional, and 10.13 (95% CI 4.17-24.62) for distant cancer, respectively. In survivors, distant cancer, low level of education, not having children < 18 years in the household, pre-diagnostic sick-leave and not being employed at diagnosis were associated with increased likelihood for DP. Conclusion. A considerable proportion of CRC survivors, for years after diagnosis, will experience reduced work ability compared to controls. Rehabilitation and workplace adjustment to reduce sickness absence and improve work ability should be a long-term concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To explore the relationship between radiotherapy (RT) dose levels in the arm/shoulder region and arm/shoulder morbidity in breast cancer patients. Material and methods. This study included 183 breast cancer patients who had received locoregional RT with or without chemotherapy and/or hormone treatment during the period 1998-2002. Individual RT dose level, reflected by dose-volume histograms (DVHs), for the shoulder joint and joining structures were obtained from archived CT-based RT plans. Individual median, mean and maximum arm/shoulder RT dose levels were extracted. Arm/shoulder morbidity was assessed 29-58 months after breast cancer treatment using the following clinical endpoints: arm pain, arm stiffness, swollen arm, use of arm, numbness, shoulder flexion and shoulder abduction difference, fibrosis and breast cancer-related lymphedema. The relationship between arm/shoulder RT dose level and these clinical endpoints was assessed by Spearman's correlation and multivariate logistic regression. Results. Ninety-one percent of the included patients had some degree of arm/shoulder morbidity. Neither mean nor maximum RT dose level was associated with clinical endpoints. However, significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between DVHs and arm stiffness, arm pain, use of arm and shoulder abduction difference, when arm/shoulder RT dose levels were approximately 15 Gy. Conclusions. Three-dimensional conformal locoregional RT for breast cancer results in long-term arm/shoulder morbidity. To minimize this risk, large shoulder volumes receiving RT doses of approximately 15 Gy should be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]