Disability pension receipt five years after cancer diagnosis: a matched registry study of working-age cancer survivors in Norway.

Objective: To examine receipt of partial or full disability pension (DP) five years after cancer diagnosis among working-age cancer survivors (CSs) in Norway and the associations of cancer-related and socioeconomic factors with DP receipt. Methods: Nationwide registry data included 11,188 individuals aged 30-55 diagnosed with first primary invasive cancer (2004-2008), all employed at diagnosis. CSs were matched to cancer-free controls at a 1:1 ratio based on age, sex, education, and employment at baseline. Conditional logistic regression estimated the association between cancer status and DP receipt. Additional analyses among CSs examined cancer type, cancer stage, and socioeconomic factors. Results: CSs had more than twice the odds of receiving DP compared with controls. Among CSs, advanced cancer stage and cancer type (e.g., respiratory, blood, and CNS-related cancers) were associated with higher odds of receiving DP, while skin cancer was associated with lower odds (compared to digestive organ cancers). Older age, lower education, lower income, and being unmarried were all associated with higher odds of receiving DP. Having young children (aged 0-5) versus none was associated with lower odds of DP, and no differences were observed by immigrant background. Conclusion: CSs had higher odds of receiving DP, particularly those with advanced cancer stage and certain cancer types. Socioeconomic disadvantages such as lower education or limited income were also associated with higher odds of receiving DP. These findings highlight the need for tailored occupational rehabilitation strategies that address both clinical and socioeconomic circumstances.