McGill led pilot project helping cancer survivors return to work

A new pilot project that is being led by McGill University researchers is helping cancer survivors return to work.

The online support program called iCanWork is a 10-step program that looked into the side effects of post-cancer treatment, like fatigue, “chemo brain,” and anxiety in correlation to the reintegration of going back to work and daily life — which is often overlooked.

“Work isn’t considered a key health indicator in cancer care, even though it’s a major concern from the moment someone is diagnosed and is associated with better quality of life in survivors,” said Christine Maheu, an associate professor at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing.

“It’s difficult to sustain that work. Sometimes people, without that support, people go back to work and they say, they have all these challenges and they go back to work and they’re like, ‘oh my god, I can’t sustain work. I can’t do this’ I can’t take the extra work,” Dr. Maheu explained.

Dr. Maheu says survivors would worry noting an increased presence of fatigue –often time being that they don’t know how to cope because they weren’t guided by a professional vocational rehab and occupational therapist. 

In the pilot project, 24 cancer survivors, Maheu, and other researchers evaluated the effectiveness of iCanWork.

Survivors were able to talk to counsellors and therapists who were able to help during their return to work. The program found that half of the cancer survivors were able to fully return to work within three months. That was compared to a group who did not have access to iCanWork, where only one-third returned in the same time frame.

“One participant said without the sessions, she would have quit. Another had considered early retirement but changed her plans,” said Maheu. 

“It’s a need and it’s highly appreciated by the people that took part in our pilot,” Maheu added. “If they hadn’t been for their participation in the iCanWork intervention, they would not have been successful with their return to work.”

Additionally, those who were involved in the program, said they were able to work more effectively, felt connected socially, and found that pain interfered less in their lives.

‘Definitely an undeserved underrecognized issue currently’

Dr. Maheu says those touched by cancer also feel financial stressors, noting that cancer patients face over $2,500 a month in lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses from medications to home care. She says a variety of survivors note some employers often spend tens of thousands of dollars to replace a worker on medical leave.

Dr. Maheu says the program aims to fill a gap in Canadian cancer care as only four per cent of employers have cancer-specific return-to-work policies

“You can have a return to work policy but if it’s not something specific to cancer then you still leave that invisible in terms of recognizing the unique issues of a person who was affected or touched by cancer,” she explained.

“There is a need to have a specific program and policies unique for individuals or employees with cancer.”

Dr. Maheu clarified that they want to help employers who are looking to accommodate and help find solutions to support their employees. Employers with existing services may need to update their structure to help with this transition period.

The team is preparing a larger trial and looking for partners to help scale iCanWork across Canada. Dr. Maheu says they are recognized globally, though most Canadians aren’t aware of their services or reputation — as the team looks to improve this.

“They have all of these issues and physical challenges still with the fatigue and the pain,” Dr. Maheu said on cancer survivors struggling to reintegrate.

More on the program can be found on the MDPI website, and a testimonial from a cancer survivor can be found on YouTube.

Dr. Maheu urges those seeking answers to visit their website which features various self management tools.

“This is something that cancer survivors we’re seeking for that support.”