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A brand new pilot mission led by McGill College researchers is exhibiting early success in serving to most cancers survivors return to work, addressing a facet of restoration they are saying is commonly neglected.
iCanWork is an internet assist program being developed by Christine Maheu, Affiliate Professor at McGill’s Ingram College of Nursing, in collaboration with BC Most cancers.
“Work is not thought of a key well being indicator in most cancers care, despite the fact that it is a main concern from the second somebody is identified and is related to higher high quality of life in survivors” mentioned Maheu.
Lingering unintended effects of most cancers remedy like fatigue, “chemo mind” and nervousness could make it laborious to focus, keep organized and handle stress, making the return to work really feel overwhelming, she defined.
Promising early outcomes
In a randomized trial involving 24 most cancers survivors, Maheu and her colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of iCanWork. The work is revealed within the journal Present Oncology.
Within the 10-step program, survivors met just about with return-to-work counselors and therapists who helped handle the hurdles to reintegration and referred them to extra specialists when wanted.
Half of the individuals returned to full-time work inside three months, in comparison with about one-third within the management group. Individuals additionally reported working extra successfully, feeling extra socially related and located ache interfered much less of their each day lives.
“One participant mentioned with out the periods, she would have give up. One other had thought of early retirement however modified her plans,” mentioned Maheu.
A lacking piece in most cancers care
The primary-of-its-kind program goals to fill a niche in Canadian most cancers care. Solely 4 p.c of employers have cancer-specific return-to-work insurance policies, which the authors say are extra frequent in some European nations.
The hole additionally has monetary penalties. Maheu mentioned earlier analysis reveals that, on common, most cancers sufferers face over $2,500 a month in misplaced wages and out-of-pocket bills like treatment and residential care. Employers, in the meantime, usually spend as much as $24,000 to switch a employee on medical depart. “Having correct assist in place advantages each side,” mentioned Maheu.
The group is getting ready a bigger trial and searching for companions to assist scale iCanWork throughout Canada.
The structured program examined within the examine remains to be in growth, however survivors can already entry instruments and sources by means of the Most cancers and Work web site, launched in 2016 and acknowledged with the 2020 CIHR Inclusive Analysis Excellence Prize for its accessible and inclusive design.
Extra data:
Christine Maheu et al, Pilot Randomized Managed Trial of iCanWork: Concept-Guided Return-to-Work Intervention for People Touched by Most cancers, Present Oncology (2025). DOI: 10.3390/curroncol32050266
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Program helps most cancers survivors return to work with confidence (2025, June 11)
retrieved 11 June 2025
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