Influencing Factors of Breast Cancer Patients’ Return‐to‐Work: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to recapitulate the influencing factors of breast cancer patients’ return‐to‐work (RTW). Methods: Pairs of researchers screened and extracted data from included studies independently. Data were analyzed by using Stata 12.0 Software. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the study were used to combine the data, and between‐study heterogeneity was investigated by using I 2 statistics. Sensitivity analyses were carried out through a step‐by‐step exclusion of the literature. Funnel plots were employed for a quantitative assessment of publication bias in the included literature. Results: 23 identified studies were eligible for this synthesis. The pooled incidence of RTW was 65.0%. The factors associated with RTW of breast cancer patients were as follows: age, receipt of radiotherapy or not, presence of comorbidities or not, cancer stage, receipt of axillary lymph node dissection or not, surgical modality, having children or not, anxiety symptoms, work patterns, cognitive functioning, and physical functioning. Conclusion: Addressing the identified barriers and strengthening the facilitators to RTW can further improve the RTW rates of breast cancer patients and then promote early reintegration into society.