Effects of Treatment on the Work Experiences of Long-Term Survivors of Hodgkin's Disease

The work experiences of 85 men who were long-term survivors of Hodgkin's disease were compared with the experiences of a similar group of 88 survivors of testicular cancer. The results suggested that survivors of Hodgkin's disease had more difficulties in completing work tasks. The focus of the remaining analyses was to explain the poorer work experiences of survivors of Hodgkin's disease using a measure of physical performance at work and at leisure adapted from studies on biological energy. The results indicating that treatment for Hodgkin's disease has measurable effects on performance of leisure activities but not on work activities are consistent with this earlier work. Changes in leisure activity also had a negative effect on the men's mood state. The findings are discussed in relation to policy issues of concern to those involved in the rehabilitation of canccr survivors.