Last updated 15:52, Wednesday, 23 April 2008

A UNIVERSITY of Cumbria professor has been invited to join a research team that will study cancer patients when they return to work.

Dr Stuart Whitaker, senior lecturer in occupational health at the University of Cumbria, will be working with a team at the Macmillan Cancer Research Unit, at Manchester University, to help produce guidelines for employers, line managers, occupational health services and patients.

The research project aims to investigate the benefit of, for example, providing written advice to patients and their employers on return to work, or providing them with written advice plus access to specialist occupational health advice.

The use of randomised controlled trials will add weight to the evidence gathered through this research, in order to ensure the study provides the best available evidence, which can then be acted upon by employers, patients and their carers.

Dr Whitaker said: “The 10-year survival rate of cancer sufferers has doubled in the past 30 years and this positive trend is likely to continue in the years to come. It means it is vital that employers and former patients are offered the correct support. Ultimately we hope that this study will improve education of employers; help to develop and test effective models and allow people to make a smooth transition back into work.”

In the UK, 90,000 working people are diagnosed with cancer each year and the numbers of people surviving and returning to work is growing. One in five cancer patients said their job satisfaction and career prospects had deteriorated after returning to work.