abstract: 'Background: Cancer survivors are often left on their own to deal with the challenges of resuming work during or after cancer treatment, mainly due to unclear agreements between stakeholders responsible for occupational rehabilitation. Social inequality exists in cancer risk, survival probability and continues with regard to the chance of being able to return to work. The aim is to apply an early, individually tailored occupational rehabilitation intervention to cancer survivors in two municipalities parallel with cancer treatment focusing on enhancing readiness for return to work. Methods/Design: In a controlled trial municipal job consultants use acceptance and commitment therapy dialogue and individual-placement-and-support-inspired tools with cancer survivors to engage them in behaviour changes toward readiness for return to work. The workplace is involved in the return to work process. Patients referred to surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy at the Oncology Department, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark for the diagnoses; breast, colon-rectal, head and neck, thyroid gland, testicular, ovarian or cervix cancer are eligible for the study. Patients must be residents in the municipalities of Silkeborg or Randers, 18-60 years of age and have a permanent or temporary employment (with at least 6 months left of their contract) at inclusion. Patients, for whom the treating physician considers occupational rehabilitation to be unethical, or who are not reading or talking Danish are excluded. The control group has identical inclusion and exclusion criteria except for municipality of residence. Return to work is the primary outcome and is indentified in a social transfer payment register. Effect is assessed as relative cumulative incidences within 52 weeks and will be analysed in generalised linear regression models using the pseudo values method. As a secondary outcome; co-morbidity and socio-economic status is analysed as effect modifiers of the intervention effect on return to work. Discussion: The innovative element of this intervention is the timing of the occupational rehabilitation which is much earlier initiated than usual and the active involvement of the workplace. We anticipate that vulnerable cancer survivors will benefit from this approach and reduce the effects of social inequality on workability.' affiliation: 'Stapelfeldt, CM (Corresponding Author), MarselisborgCentret, Publ Hlth \& Qual Improvement CFK, PP Oerums Gade 11,Bldg 1B, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. Stapelfeldt, Christina M.; Labriola, Merete; Momsen, Anne-Mette H.; Nielsen, Claus Vinther, MarselisborgCentret, Publ Hlth \& Qual Improvement CFK, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. Jensen, Anders Bonde, Aarhus Univ Hosp, Dept Oncol, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark. Andersen, Niels Trolle, Aarhus Univ, Dept Publ Hlth, Biostat Sect, Aarhus, Denmark. Nielsen, Claus Vinther, Aarhus Univ, Dept Publ Hlth, Sect Clin Social Med \& Rehabil, Aarhus, Denmark.' article-number: '720' author: Stapelfeldt, Christina M. and Labriola, Merete and Jensen, Anders Bonde and Andersen, Niels Trolle and Momsen, Anne-Mette H. and Nielsen, Claus Vinther author-email: ChristinaMalmose.Stapelfeldt@stab.rm.dk author_list: - family: Stapelfeldt given: Christina M. - family: Labriola given: Merete - family: Jensen given: Anders Bonde - family: Andersen given: Niels Trolle - family: Momsen given: Anne-Mette H. - family: Nielsen given: Claus Vinther da: '2023-09-28' doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-2062-1 eissn: 1471-2458 files: [] journal: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH keywords: 'Acceptance and commitment therapy; Cancer survivor; Controlled trial; Individual placement and support; Intervention; Occupational rehabilitation; Readiness for return to work; Social inequality; Workplace' keywords-plus: 'RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL; SICKNESS ABSENCE; BREAST-CANCER; EMPLOYMENT; REHABILITATION; RISK; PREDICTORS; DISABILITY; READINESS; WORKPLACE' language: English month: JUL 29 number-of-cited-references: '66' orcid-numbers: Nielsen, Claus Vinther/0000-0002-2467-1103 papis_id: 031cf9fda65fd52e930a9b9ed076ace0 ref: Stapelfeldt2015municipalreturn times-cited: '27' title: 'Municipal return to work management in cancer survivors undergoing cancer treatment: a protocol on a controlled intervention study' type: article unique-id: WOS:000359765500001 usage-count-last-180-days: '0' usage-count-since-2013: '37' volume: '15' web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health year: '2015'