[Work and Cancer Survivorship in Japan].

In Japan, as the proportion of working-age cancer survivors is expected to increase, balance between cancer treatment and work is one of the most important topic in occupational health. This study is a first large-scale study investigating cumulative return to work(RTW)rate and work continuance rate among Japanese cancer survivors. Data on Japanese employees who experienced an episode of sick leave due to clinically certified cancer diagnosed between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2011 were obtained from an occupationalheal th register. 1,278 cancer survivors(1,033 males and 245 females)experienced their first episode of sick leave due to cancer during the 12-year follow-up period. Of the subjects, 47.1% returned to work full time within 6 months of their initial day of sick leave absence, and 62.3% by 12 months. The cumulative RTW rate varied significantly by cancer type. Five-year work continuance rate after RTW was 51.1%. There was a steep decrease in work continuance rates during the first year after RTW, with considerable differences according to cancer site. In Japan, it seems to be more important to support employees with cancer.