| 1. |
- Ali, Sadiq Mohammad, et al.
(författare)
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Social capital, the miniaturisation of community, traditionalism and first time acute myocardial infarction: A prospective cohort study in southern Sweden.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-5347 .- 0277-9536. ; 63:8, s. 2204-2217
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This longitudinal study investigates the impact of social participation, trust and the combinations of social participation and trust on the incidence of first time acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the population of Scania, southern Sweden. It is based on the cross-sectional 2000 public-health survey in Scania with a 59% participation rate and 13,604 participants, and prospective morbidity/mortality data collected for three years (January 2000-December 2002). The study cohort was followed prospectively to examine first ever AMI Hazard rate ratios (HRR) for first time AMI in the social participation, trust and social participation/trust combinations were calculated in a Cox regression model with adjustments for age, sex, education, economic stress, daily smoking, leisure time physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported health. The prevalence of low social participation was 32.8% among men and 31.5% among women. The prevalence of low trust was 40.0% among men and 44.2% among women. The three-year first time AMI rate was significantly higher among people with higher age, low education, daily smoking, poor self-reported health (among men), low social participation, and the combinations of low social participation/high trust and low social participation/low trust. The results show that low social participation but not trust was significantly associated with first time AMI after adjustment for age and sex. The positive association between low social participation and myocardial infarction remained significant after further adjustments for education, economic stress, daily smoking, physical activity and BMI, and became not significant only after additional adjustment for self-reported health, HRR 1.3 (0.9-2.0). High trust in combination with low social participation as well as low social capital (low trust/low social participation) were significantly associated with AMI, but after multiple adjustments only the low social participation/high trust category remained significant, HRR 1.6 (1.0-2.6).
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| 2. |
- Attner, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer among patients with diabetes, obesity and abnormal blood lipids: a population-based register study in Sweden.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Cancer Causes and Control. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-7225 .- 0957-5243. ; 23:5, s. 769-777
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study how the incidence of cancer is related to diabetes, obesity or abnormal blood lipids. METHODS: Diagnosis of diabetes, obesity or abnormal blood lipids was studied 0-10 years prior to the diagnosis of cancer in 19,756 cases of cancer and in 147,324 controls matched regarding age, sex and domicile. RESULTS: Diabetes was significantly more common prior to diagnosis in patients with liver, pancreatic, colon and urinary tract/bladder cancer and in patients with breast cancer diagnosed with diabetes 0-4 years prior to the cancer diagnosis. A lower risk of diabetes was seen in patients with prostate carcinoma among individuals with diabetes diagnosed 5-10 years prior to the cancer diagnosis. The findings remained after adjusting for obesity and high blood lipids. Obesity was significantly more common in patients with endometrial, colon and kidney cancer and with breast cancer above the age of 60 years in those where obesity was diagnosed close to the diagnosis of cancer. High blood lipids were significantly more common in patients with ovarian cancer and less common in patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms some previous findings concerning comorbidity and cancer and highlights some new ones.
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| 3. |
- Attner, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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Low Cancer Rates among Patients with Dementia in a Population-Based Register Study in Sweden.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. - : S. Karger AG. - 1420-8008 .- 1421-9824. ; 30:1, s. 39-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Some studies have suggested a lower incidence of cancer in patients with dementia. We studied this further for 18 cancer types in population-based registers. Methods: In 19,756 cases and in 147,324 age- and sex-matched controls a diagnosis of dementia was studied 9-45 months prior to the diagnosis of cancer. Results: Overall a diagnosis of dementia was significantly less common among the cancer cases (risk ratio, RR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.52-0.69). Conclusion: The study confirms previous findings that patients with dementia have a lower risk of cancer. Because the effect was seen for all tumour types and especially for patients older than 70 years and since the deficit was more pronounced for patients with tumours situated within the body, the data suggest that malignancies are underdiagnosed for persons with dementia.
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| 4. |
- Carlsson, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Representativity of a postal public health questionnaire survey in Sweden, with special reference to ethnic differences in participation
- 2006
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 34:2, s. 132-139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: Non-participation in health surveys is a common phenomenon. When differences between participants and non-participants are considerable, the external validity of the sample survey may decrease and false conclusions might be drawn about the health status of the population. For this reason, the authors aimed to investigate the representativity of a postal questionnaire survey performed in the county of Scania, Sweden, in 1999-2000. The survey, which was based on an 18- to 80-year-old population sample, had a 58% response rate (n = 13 604).METHODS: For some variables, the information obtained using the questionnaire was compared with information obtained from a population register that covers all the population in the county (for the 18- to 80-year-old group, n = 850 476). The population register includes, among other data, information on age, gender, educational level, country of birth, and healthcare expenditure.RESULTS: Men, individuals with a low level of education, and immigrants were under-represented in the survey. However, except for immigrants, the under-representation was not large. Among immigrants, particularly those born in former Yugoslavia, the Arabic-speaking countries, and Poland were very significantly under-represented in the study. By contrast, immigrants born in other Nordic countries had responded to almost the same extent as respondents born in Sweden. The survey sample had about the same healthcare utilization costs as did the general population.CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the "Health Survey for Scania, 2000" seems largely representative of the total Scanian population. A major concern, however, is the under-representation of the immigrant population.
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| 5. |
- Chaix, Basile, et al.
(författare)
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Children's exposure to nitrogen dioxide in Sweden: investigating environmental injustice in an egalitarian country.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 1470-2738 .- 0143-005X. ; 60:3, s. 234-241
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Study objective: Prior studies have shown that children are particularly sensitive to air pollution. This study examined whether children of low socioeconomic status suffered greater exposure to outdoor nitrogen dioxide than more affluent ones, both at their place of residence and at school, in a country with widespread state intervention for social equity. Design: Local scale data on outdoor nitrogen dioxide obtained from a validated air pollution model were analysed, along with all school children accurately geocoded to their building of residence and school. Participants: All 29 133 children in grades one through nine (aged 7 to 15 years) residing and attending school in Malmo, Sweden, in 2001. Main results: Defining the socioeconomic status of children according to the mean income in their residential building, the spatial scan statistic technique allowed the authors to identify eight statistically significant clusters of low socioeconomic status children, all of which were located in the most polluted areas of Malmo. Four clusters of high socioeconomic status children were found, all of them located in the least polluted areas. The neighbourhood socioeconomic status better predicted the nitrogen dioxide exposure of children than the socioeconomic status of their building of residence. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide at the place of residence and school of attendance regularly increased as the socioeconomic status of a child's neighbourhood of residence decreased. Conclusions: Evidence of environmental injustice was found, even in a country noted for its egalitarian welfare state. Enforcement of environmental regulations may be necessary to achieve a higher level of environmental equity.
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| 6. |
- Eek, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Health Care Utilisation and Attitudes towards Health Care in Subjects Reporting Environmental Annoyance from Electricity and Chemicals.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental and Public Health. - : Hindawi Limited. - 1687-9813 .- 1687-9805. ; 2009:Apr 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmentally intolerant persons report decreased self-rated health and daily functioning. However, it remains unclear whether this condition also results in increased health care costs. The aim of this study was to describe the health care consumption and attitudes towards health care in subjects presenting subjective environmental annoyance in relation to the general population, as well as to a group with a well-known disorder as treated hypertension (HT). Methods. Postal questionnaire (n = 13 604) and record linkage with population-based register on health care costs. Results. Despite significantly lower subjective well being and health than both the general population and HT group, the environmentally annoyed subjects had lower health care costs than the hypertension group. In contrast to the hypertension group, the environmentally annoyed subjects expressed more negative attitudes toward the health care than the general population. Conclusions. Despite their impaired subjective health and functional capacity, health care utilisation costs were not much increased for the environmentally annoyed group. This may partly depend on negative attitudes towards the health care in this group.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Jarl, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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The Danish effect on Swedish alcohol costs An analysis based on hospitalization data from southern Sweden.
- 2006
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Ingår i: European Journal of Health Economics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1618-7601 .- 1618-7598. ; 7:1, s. 46-54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated: (a) the cost and change in hospitalizations related to alcohol misuse for the healthcare sector and (b) the effect of distance to the border on alcohol-related hospitalization costs. The first objective was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the second using ordinary least squares regression on aggregated municipality data. The total cost decreased marginally during the study period while the number of patient-cases decreased substantially, presenting evidence of a substitution towards outpatient care. The increase in average treatment cost and the almost constant total cost provide evidence for a societal increase in the burden of alcohol-related diseases. We found a negative effect for distance to Denmark on alcohol-related hospitalization cost for the year 2003. The effect was smaller for 1998, suggesting that the increase in private import quotas during the study period has affected individuals’ consumption level and/or consumption pattern. We also found indications that the increase in import quotas lead to a higher cost increase for heavy consumers than for low consumers.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Melander, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Utilisation of antibiotics in young children: opposite relationships to adult educational levels in Danish and Swedish counties.
- 2003
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Ingår i: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1041 .- 0031-6970. ; 59:4, s. 331-335
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Antibiotic utilisation varies profoundly among and within countries, and the extent of antibiotic utilisation correlates with the frequency of bacterial resistance, particularly among children. Hence, it is important to assess which factors may influence prescribing. In addition to variations in morbidity, health-care organisation, drug regulatory and supply systems, prescriber's attitudes, parents' behaviour, attitudes and socio-economic positions seem important. We compared socio-economic position (educational level of adults) and antibiotic utilisation in children in the municipalities within a Danish and a Swedish county which are geographically close, have similar social and economic development, and similar drug regulatory and supply systems. Methods. Data on antibiotic utilisation (1998), expressed in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID), were obtained from the Copenhagen County Health Insurance register and from the National Corporation of Swedish Pharmacies. Data on municipal educational levels were obtained from Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden. Results. The utilisation of antibiotics in 0- to 6-year-old children was higher in the Swedish than in the Danish county but varied between the municipalities within both the Swedish (9.6-17.7 DDD/TID) and the Danish (8.0-12.9 DDD/TID) counties. Most notably, utilisation rates correlated negatively with the education levels in the Danish (r=-0.539, P=0.021) but positively in the Swedish (r=+0.390, P=0.025) municipalities. Conclusion. The observed variations in antibiotic prescribing may reflect different parental and/or prescriber attitudes towards use of antibiotics and they emphasise that antibiotic prescribing is influenced by factors other than the prevalence of bacterial infections. Relationships between socio-economic position (educational level) and drug utilisation should not be generalised from one area to another.
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| 12. |
- Merlo, Juan, et al.
(författare)
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Social inequalities in health- do they diminish with age? Revisiting the question in Sweden 1999.
- 2003
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Ingår i: International Journal for Equity in Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1475-9276. ; 2:1, s. 2-2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Individuals with low income have poorer health and should, therefore, have higher health expenditure than people with high income particularly in countries with a universal health care system. However, it has been discussed if social inequities in health diminish with age and we, hence, aimed to analyse this question. METHODS: We performed an age stratified cross-sectional analysis using averages, logistic and linear regression modelling of health care contacts, health care expenditures and mortality in relation to individual income in five groups by quintiles. The population consisted of all the 249,855 men aged 40 to 80 years living in the county of Skane, Sweden during 1999. RESULTS: For working-age people (40-59 year old) we find a clear socioeconomic gradient with increasing probability of health care contact, relative expenditure and mortality as income decreased. The point estimations for 1st (highest)-2nd-3rd-4th and 5th (lowest) income groups were: (1.00-1.13-1.21-1.42 and 1.15), (1.00-1.16-1.29-1.69 and 1.89) and (1.00-1.35-1.44-2.82 and 4.12) for health care contact, relative expenditure and mortality respectively. However, in the elderly (75-80 year old) these point estimates were (1.00-0.83-0.59-0.61 and 0.39), (1.00-1.04-1.05-1.02 and 0.96) and (1.00-1.06-1.30-1.33 and 1.49). CONCLUSIONS: As expected among working-age individuals, lower income was associated with higher health care contact, relative expenditure and mortality. However, the existence of opposite socioeconomic gradients in health care utilisation and mortality in the elderly suggests that factors related to a high income might condition allocation of resources, or that current medical care is ineffective to treat determinants of income differences in mortality occurring earlier in the lifecourse.
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| 13. |
- Norlund, A, et al.
(författare)
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Prostate cancer - Prevalence-based healthcare costs
- 2003
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5599 .- 1651-2065. ; 37:5, s. 371-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To calculate the total costs of in- and outpatient healthcare for patients with prostate cancer based on an episode-of-care approach. The cost analysis includes costs incurred during the first year of diagnosis, a longitudinal 3-year analysis and the incremental cost of prostate cancer during the first year of diagnosis. Material and Methods: Patients registered with prostate cancer between 1998 and 2000, according to the data files of the Southern Swedish Regional Tumour Registry, were given encrypted identifiers that could also be used in the Patient Administrative System of the Region Skane County Council, making it possible to identify consumption of healthcare on an episode-of-care basis. Itemized costs for resources used by each individual patient were calculated from the complete accounting system of the County Council. Results: Healthcare costs for prostate cancer during the first year varied between 45 000 and 51 000 SEK per patient. The second- and third-year costs were progressively lower, with an estimated total cost of 114 000 SEK over a period of 3 years. The age-standardized incremental cost of prostate cancer corresponded to 33 000 SEK during the first year, compared to the average cost per inhabitant. Conclusions: The episode-of-care approach, based on encrypted identifiers for the identification of the diagnoses of individual patients and their utilization of healthcare, gives a unique opportunity to estimate the healthcare costs of specific diseases. The incremental healthcare cost per patient with prostate cancer corresponded to 33 000 SEK during the first year.
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| 14. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Influence on the Health of the Partner Affected by Tumor Disease in the Wife or Husband Based on a Population-Based Register Study of Cancer in Sweden.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - 1527-7755. ; 27, s. 4781-4786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To examine health care use and health care costs among partners of persons with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Partners of patients with colon, rectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancer (N = 11,076) were identified via linked data from the Tumor Registry of Southern Sweden and Census Registry of Sweden. Health care use, total costs of health care, and diagnosis of the partner were studied before and after diagnosis of the cancer patient. RESULTS: Health care use for partners increased in terms of in-patient care after the cancer diagnosis. A significant increase was seen the second year for partners of patients with colon cancer (risk ratio [RR], 1.55; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.87) and lung cancer (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.79). Psychiatric diagnoses increased after the cancer diagnosis in the total sample, with a significant increase for partners of colon (RR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.71 to 4.22), lung (RR, 3.16; 95% CI, 2.23 to 4.57), and prostate cancer patients (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.15). Costs of care increased more than the consumer price index the two years after the cancer diagnosis. Costs of care increased most for male partners and especially for younger male partners (age 25 to 64 years) of patients with colon, rectal, and lung cancers. CONCLUSION: The results showed increased health care costs and an increase in psychiatric diagnoses after the cancer diagnosis among partners of cancer patients. Further research is needed to learn more about the situation of the partner and to identify persons at risk of psychiatric morbidity. Knowledge is also needed on how to support the partner in the most efficient way.
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| 15. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Influence on the health of the partner affected by tumor disease in the wife or husband based on a population-based register study of cancer in Sweden
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - : American Society of Clinical Oncology. - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 27:28, s. 4781-4786
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose To examine health care use and health care costs among partners of persons with cancer.Patients and Methods Partners of patients with colon, rectal, lung, breast, and prostate cancer (N = 11,076) were identified via linked data from the Tumor Registry of Southern Sweden and Census Registry of Sweden. Health care use, total costs of health care, and diagnosis of the partner were studied before and after diagnosis of the cancer patient.Results Health care use for partners increased in terms of in-patient care after the cancer diagnosis. A significant increase was seen the second year for partners of patients with colon cancer (risk ratio [RR], 1.55; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.87) and lung cancer (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.79). Psychiatric diagnoses increased after the cancer diagnosis in the total sample, with a significant increase for partners of colon (RR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.71 to 4.22), lung (RR, 3.16; 95% CI, 2.23 to 4.57), and prostate cancer patients (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.15). Costs of care increased more than the consumer price index the two years after the cancer diagnosis. Costs of care increased most formale partners and especially for younger male partners (age 25 to 64 years) of patients with colon, rectal, and lung cancers.Conclusion The results showed increased health care costs and an increase in psychiatric diagnoses after the cancer diagnosis among partners of cancer patients. Further research is needed to learn more about the situation of the partner and to identify persons at risk of psychiatric morbidity. Knowledge is also needed on how to support the partner in the most efficient way.
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| 16. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Sick leave of spouses to cancer patients before and after diagnosis.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 49, s. 467-473
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Background. The impact of cancer on spouses of cancer patients may be considerable in many aspects. Our objective was to evaluate sick leave in spouses of cancer patients before and after the diagnosis. Material and methods. Using Swedish population-based registries, we studied sick leave of spouses to patients with newly diagnosed colon, rectal, lung, prostate, or breast cancer. We identified the cancer patients via the Swedish Cancer Registry and obtained information of their spouse through linkage with the population register. We assessed the number of sick leave episodes and sick days one year before until one year after the spouses' cancer diagnosis by cross-referencing with Swedish Social Insurance Agency data. We also compared the number of sick days of spouses with the general population adjusted for age, sex and partner status. Results. In general, spouses (N=1 923) to cancer patients had an increase in the frequency of new episodes of sick leave in the months before and after the cancer diagnosis. Spouses of lung cancer patients had most sick leave episodes, and the largest number of sick days per person. In comparison to the general population, spouses in the lung cancer group also had the highest standardised sick day ratio 1.76; 95% confidence interval 1.24, 2.40. The corresponding risk for spouses in other groups of cancer was not significantly increased. Discussion. In Sweden there is often increased sick leave of spouses to cancer patients. It may be due to emotional stress and physical reactions that follow with cancer which needs to be further explored in order to provide adequate support and care.
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| 17. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Sick leave of spouses to cancer patients before and after diagnosis
- 2010
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 49:4, s. 467-473
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The impact of cancer on spouses of cancer patients may be considerable in many aspects. Our objective was to evaluate sick leave in spouses of cancer patients before and after the diagnosis. Material and methods. Using Swedish population-based registries, we studied sick leave of spouses to patients with newly diagnosed colon, rectal, lung, prostate, or breast cancer. We identified the cancer patients via the Swedish Cancer Registry and obtained information of their spouse through linkage with the population register. We assessed the number of sick leave episodes and sick days one year before until one year after the spouses' cancer diagnosis by cross-referencing with Swedish Social Insurance Agency data. We also compared the number of sick days of spouses with the general population adjusted for age, sex and partner status. Results. In general, spouses (N=1 923) to cancer patients had an increase in the frequency of new episodes of sick leave in the months before and after the cancer diagnosis. Spouses of lung cancer patients had most sick leave episodes, and the largest number of sick days per person. In comparison to the general population, spouses in the lung cancer group also had the highest standardised sick day ratio 1.76; 95% confidence interval 1.24, 2.40. The corresponding risk for spouses in other groups of cancer was not significantly increased. Discussion. In Sweden there is often increased sick leave of spouses to cancer patients. It may be due to emotional stress and physical reactions that follow with cancer which needs to be further explored in order to provide adequate support and care.
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| 18. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 20, s. 741-747
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer. METHODS: Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer. RESULTS: Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the lowest increase. Irrespective of the form of cancer, cancer patients had significantly more sick days in the post-diagnostic phase compared to their reference subjects, ranging from 5 (prostate cancer) to 12 times the amount of sick days (colon and lung cancer). One year post-diagnosis, less than half of the cancer patients were on sick leave, except for lung cancer patients where 63% were still on sick leave. CONCLUSION: Sick leave among cancer patients seems related not only to the cancer diagnosis and its treatment but also to the prodromal illness in the pre-diagnostic phase, especially for forms of cancer with heavier symptom burden such as colon and lung cancer. Although cancer results in substantial increase in sick leave, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of cancer patients return to work within 1 year after the cancer diagnosis.
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| 19. |
- Sjövall, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Sickness absence among cancer patients in the pre-diagnostic and the post-diagnostic phases of five common forms of cancer
- 2012
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 20:4, s. 741-747
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose The purpose of this study was to observe sickness absence before and after the cancer diagnosis among cancer patients with five common forms of cancer.Methods Using cohort data, we observed sick leave in the pre- and post-diagnostic phase among patients with colon, rectal, breast, prostate, or lung cancer (n = 2,738). We also identified reference subjects without cancer (total n = 12,246) who were individually matched for age and gender for each specific cancer cohort in order to compare sickness absence between patients with a specific form of cancer and the background population without cancer.Results Lung cancer patients had the highest increase in sick days both pre- and post-diagnosis and prostate cancer patients had the lowest increase. Irrespective of the form of cancer, cancer patients had significantly more sick days in the post-diagnostic phase compared to their reference subjects, ranging from 5 (prostate cancer) to 12 times the amount of sick days (colon and lung cancer). One year post-diagnosis, less than half of the cancer patients were on sick leave, except for lung cancer patients where 63% were still on sick leave.Conclusion Sick leave among cancer patients seems related not only to the cancer diagnosis and its treatment but also to the prodromal illness in the pre-diagnostic phase, especially for forms of cancer with heavier symptom burden such as colon and lung cancer. Although cancer results in substantial increase in sick leave, it is important to acknowledge that a major part of cancer patients return to work within 1 year after the cancer diagnosis.
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