Job resignation between cancer diagnosis and surgery in patients with gastric and esophageal cancer: a multi-institutional cross-sectional study.

Authors

Kentaro Goto, Shigeo Hisamori, Kohei Ueno, Ryosuke Okamura, Daisuke Nishizaki, Norihiro Shimoike, Taichi Tatsubayashi, Sayuri Konishi, Yasutaka Nakanishi, Tatsuto Nishigori, Takatsugu Kan, Shinya Yoshida, Kae Okoshi, Yu Sakagami, Shintaro Okumura, Masazumi Sakaguchi, Shigeru Tsunoda, Koya Hida, Kazutaka Obama

Published in

International journal of clinical oncology. Jun 29, 2026. Epub Jun 29, 2026.

Abstract

This multicenter cross-sectional analysis examined the prevalence, risk factors, and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) correlates of the job resignation occurring between cancer diagnosis and surgery among patients with gastric or esophageal cancer in Japan.
A total of 167 employed patients scheduled for curative-intent surgery across nine institutions between September 2022 and March 2024 completed questionnaires assessing employment status, socioeconomic variables, and preoperative HRQoL, including the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25.
Among all participants, 4.2% (7/167) resigned from work prior to surgery. Although exploratory modified Poisson regression did not identify statistically significant predictors, point estimates were higher among women, low-income households, and employees of small companies (≤ 99 workers). Importantly, all patients who resigned expressed willingness to return to work, suggesting factors underlying premature resignation. Exploratory HRQoL comparisons suggested a generally poorer symptom and functioning profile in the resignation group, with a trend toward lower social functioning.
These findings suggest the presence of a vulnerable subgroup within this selected perioperative cohort, who may be at risk of losing employment protections and social benefits before surgery. Despite the relatively low prevalence, preoperative job resignation may have profound long-term socioeconomic and psychosocial consequences. Greater attention to employment-related concerns during the preoperative period may help facilitate timely counseling and occupational health interventions to support employment continuity and improve survivorship outcomes.

PMID:
42371254
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jun 2026.

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