Risk of returning to work and disability pension in multiple myeloma patients in central Norway

Abstract Multiple myeloma greatly impacts work ability and capacity in affected patients, compared to both the general population and to other haematological malignancies. Despite the introduction of numerous new drugs and improved treatment outcome over the last years, research on the subject this past decade is limited. We therefore aim to investigate the impact of multiple myeloma on work ability in patients in Central Norway. Patients and methods. A cohort of 311 multiple myeloma patients aged 70 years or younger was defined based on data from the Myeloma Registry in Central Norway. Available work-and sick pay-related data were extracted from electronic health records, which were pooled with registry data on disease characteristics, cancer treatment, and treatment responses. Results. Our study found no difference in the prevalence of disability pension in multiple myeloma patients at diagnosis compared to the general population. Four out of five working myeloma patients return to work after initial diagnosis. Four years after diagnosis, 37.0% of the patients had transitioned to disability pension, a number which increased to 56.1% at last day of follow-up, with a median follow-up of six years. Female gender significantly elevates the risk of disability pension at the last day of follow-up. Although not statistically significant, having an ISS stadium of I and a WHO performance status of 0 at the start of treatment seems to increase the risk of returning to work, while having a short time to next treatment seems to lower the risk. Similarly, trends in the risk of disability pension suggest that having a WHO performance status of 0 is protective, while bone disease suggests a higher risk, none of the findings being statistically significant. Conclusion. Multiple myeloma negatively affects the professional lives of Norwegian myeloma patients. Relatively high rates of returning to work are shadowed by high risks of long-term disability pension.