ScholarWorks@중앙대학교

초록

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes gender differences in unemployment and return-to-work experiences among all patients with cancer in a nationwide cohort. METHODS: Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), we analyzed 20,835 employed individuals (aged 15-59) newly diagnosed with cancer in 2010. These individuals were followed annually for 6 years (2010-2016) to assess unemployment after diagnosis. Of the total, 5,524 patients experienced unemployment during the follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate unemployment risk and its association with gender. RESULTS: The hazard ratio (HR) for unemployment following cancer diagnosis is 1.98 (95% CI, 1.85 to 2.11), indicating that women have a higher rate of job loss compared to men. Additionally, women were approximately 26% less likely to return to work after losing their jobs, highlighting significant gender disparities in employment outcomes among cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Employment is important for cancer survivors, but women are more vulnerable to job loss after a cancer diagnosis and less likely to return to work after losing their jobs, particularly those in lower-income groups. © 2025. The Author(s).

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