Return to work in breast cancer patients with and without pre-diagnosis psychological distress

e18883 Background: Women comprise more than 40% of the American workforce, with many women working at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. Pre-diagnosis psychological distress is a rarely studied factor that may affect cancer survivors’ workforce participation and mental health status post treatment. In this 2-site prospective cohort study, we evaluated return to work (RTW) in breast cancer patients (pts) with and without reported pre-diagnosis stress. Methods: We enrolled 198 female pts at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Florida with newly diagnosed stage 0-III breast cancer who worked 35-plus hours/week at time of diagnosis. Pts were screened for eligibility at the intake visit. Eligible pts were emailed a baseline survey at the time of diagnosis, then a follow-up survey at 3 months. Surveys assessed demographics, work factors, treatment, and psychological distress per the validated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Primary aims were to assess 1) the impact of pre-diagnosis psychological distress on RTW in pts with a breast cancer diagnosis and 2) the incidence of severe psychological distress (K6 ≥13) in those with and without delay in RTW. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare pts with and without pre-diagnosis stress at baseline and 3 months. Results: 189 and 142 pts took part in the baseline and 3-month surveys, respectively. Here, 40.7% of enrolled pts reported experiencing one or more major life stressors in the 18 months before diagnosis. At 3 months, 6 of the 75 pts who responded (8.0%) endorsed a delay in RTW after breast cancer diagnosis. Half of these pts (3/75) had reported a pre-diagnosis stressor, revealing no significant difference in time to RTW between the stressed and not-stressed groups. Median K6 at diagnosis in those with delay in RTW was 14 (range, 10-17), significantly higher than the median K6 of 9 in those without delay in RTW (range, 6-23; p = 0.026). 5/6 pts who reported delay in RTW had baseline or 3-month K6 ≥13. There was no significant difference in the number of pts with K6 ≥13 at baseline vs. 3 months (31.2% vs. 21.8%, p = 0.85). Overall, the pt population was well educated and well salaried. Conclusions: Pre-diagnosis psychological distress is prevalent, but it does not seem to be associated with delayed RTW in breast cancer pts; indeed, few pts reported a delay in RTW. Pts with delayed RTW after a breast cancer diagnosis had significantly higher median K6, generally ≥13. Thus, delay in RTW in breast cancer pts may be a surrogate marker of more serious psychological illness. Additional study in a socioeconomically diverse pt population is needed.