Long-term effects of cancer on earnings of childhood adolescent and young adult cancer survivors - a population based study
Methods: For a cohort of cancer survivors diagnosed in British Columbia (BC) below the age of 25 years between 1970 and 1999, surviving five years or more in BC, and alive in 1982, we linked demographic and clinical records to 2010 annual Canadian tax filer data. A comparison group matched by gender and birth year was randomly selected from the tax filer files. We ran multivariate least-squares and random effects regression models. Calculated robust standard errors were used to adjust for cluster effects.
Results: Survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors had significantly lower incomes than lymphoma survivors. There was a significant negative effect of radiation therapy (RT) on cancer survivors’ income. Cancer survivors in general earned significantly less than the population sample of tax filers.
Conclusion: In light of these findings, it is particularly important that the Ministry of Health, cancer care institutions, labour force organizations and industry work with rehabilitation and disability programs to address the income and employment disparities that affect survivors of childhood and young adult cancers. Special attention should be given to survivors of CNS tumors and to those previously treated with RT.