Professional rehabilitation of lymphoma patients: a study of psychosocial factors associated with return to work.

During the last ten years a substantial reduction in mortality has been obtained for Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Since lymphoma treatment is often accompanied by side effects and long-term sequelae, however, patients often have problems with rehabilitation. It is thus very important that these problems and needs be identified. Going back to work is one of the main objectives of rehabilitation and can be taken as a valuable indicator of the problems and needs of such patients. We therefore conducted a study at the Jules Bordet Institute between December 1989 and December 1990. Of the patients in remission and able to go back to work, only 54% of them have done so. Anxiety, depression, and treatment toxicity interfere with return to work, and the likelihood of job reentry increases with the time lapse since the end of treatment. Rehabilitation programs must focus on alleviating illness and treatment sequelae as soon as treatment ends.