Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of the study sample and subgroups
| Total sample, N = 232 N (%) |
RTW N = 113(48.7%) n (%) |
Not RTW N = 119(51.3%) n (%) |
p value (chisq test) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | 0.6 | |||
| Male | 120 (51.7) | 63(55.8) | 57(47.9) | |
| Female | 112 (48.3) | 50(44.3) | 62(52.1) | |
| Age at diagnosis | < 0.0001(t test) | |||
| Mean, range, SD | 54.3, 32–64, 7.0 | 52.8, 32–64, 7.3 | 55.6, 35–64, 6.4 | |
| Last or current occupational position | 0.07 | |||
| Blue collar worker | 46 (19.8) | 24 (21.2) | 22 (18.5) | |
| Civil servant | 13 (5.6) | 7 (6.2) | 6 (5.0) | |
| White-collar worker | 145 (62.5) | 67 (59.2) | 78 (65.6) | |
| Self-employed | 17 (7.3) | 11 (9.7) | 6 (5.0) | |
| Unknown | 11 (4.8) | 4 (3.5) | 1 (0.8) | |
| Types of professional training/qualification | 0.5 | |||
| None | 27 (11.6) | 11 (9.7) | 16 (13.5) | |
| Vocational training/company training | 138 (59.5) | 67 (59.3) | 71 (59.7) | |
| Vocational school (master craftsman/technical school, technical academy) | 31 (13.3) | 14 (12.4) | 17 (14.3) | |
| University (University/University of Applied Sciences/Engineering School/University of Cooperative Education) | 31 (13.3) | 17 (15.0) | 14 (11.8) | |
| Unknown | 5 (2.2) | 4 (3.5) | 1 (0.8) | |
| Stable relationship | 0.7 | |||
| Yes | 182 (78.5) | 90 (79.7) | 92 (77.3) | |
| No | 50 (21.6) | 23 (20.4) | 27 (22.7) | |
| Monthly household net income | 0.06 | |||
| < 1000€ | 27 (11.6) | 11 (9.7) | 16 (13.5) | |
| 1000–2000€ | 85 (36.6) | 33 (29.2) | 52 (43.7) | |
| 2000–3000€ | 51 (22) | 25 (22.1) | 26 (21.9) | |
| 3000–4000€ | 27 (11.6) | 18 (15.9) | 9 (7.6) | |
| > 4000€ | 26 (11.2) | 17 (15.0) | 9 (7.6) | |
| Unknown | 16 (6.9) | 9 (8) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Disease status | 0.001 | |||
| Complete Remission | 125 (53.9) | 74 (65.5) | 51 (42.9) | |
| Remission | 14 (6.0) | 7 (6.2) | 7 (5.9) | |
| Stable | 60 (25.9) | 25 (22.1) | 35 (29.4) | |
| Progression | 22 (9.5) | 3 (2.7) | 19 (16.0) | |
| Unknown | 11(4. 7) | 7 (6.2) | 7 (5.9) | |
| UICC stage during diagnosis | 0.04 | |||
| Stage I | 47 (20.3) | 25 (22.1) | 22 (18.5) | |
| Stage II | 60 (25.9) | 38 (33.6) | 22 (18.5) | |
| Stage III | 79 (34.0) | 30 (26.6) | 49 (41.2) | |
| Stage IV | 39 (16.8) | 16 (14.2) | 23 (19.3) | |
| Unknown | 7(3.0) | 4 (3.5) | 3 (2.5) | |
| Comorbidities | 0.7 | |||
| Yes | 128 (55.2) | 64 (56.6) | 64 (53.8) | |
| No | 104 (44.8) | 49 (43.4) | 55 (46.2) | |
| Fatigue (mean, SD) | 46.6,29.3 | 40.9, 29.5 | 52,29.4 | < .0001 (t test) |
| Emotional functioning (mean, SD) | 61.8,26.4 | 66.1,25 | 57.7, 27.2 | < .0001 (t test) |
| Types of treatment received | 0.04 | |||
| Surgery only | 49 (21.1) | 32 (28.3) | 17 (14.3) | |
| Surgery+ ST+/-RT | 103 (44.4) | 50 (44.3) | 53 (44.5) | |
| ST only/RT only | 19 (8.2) | 8 (7.1) | 11 (9.2) | |
| ST + RT | 54 (23.3) | 19 (16.8) | 35 (29.4) | |
| Unknown | 7 (3.0) | 4 (3.5) | 3 (2.5) | |
| Time since last treatment | 0.04 | |||
| Currently in treatment or < 1 month | 38 (16.4) | 16 (14.2) | 22 (18.5) | |
| 1 < 12 months | 22 (9.5) | 5 (4.4) | 17 (14.3) | |
| ≥ 12 months | 170 (73.3) | 91 (80.5) | 79 (66.4) | |
| Unknown | 2 (0.9) | 1 (0.9) | 1 (0.8) | |
| Use of social service counseling | 0.9 | |||
| Yes | 125 (53.9) | 61 (54) | 64 (53.8) | |
| No | 104 (44.8) | 51 (45.1) | 53 (44.5) | |
| Unknown | 3 (1.3) | 1 (0.9) | 2 (1.79) |
RTW Returning to work, chi-sq. chi-square test, SD standard deviation, UICC International Union Against Cancer, ST systemic therapy, RT radiotherapy