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ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

"A journey of enrichment" positive experiences for young and middle-aged head and neck cancer survivors after returning to work: a qualitative study.

Yuanyuan Zhang, Yueping Wang, Jie Wu, Haocen Wang, Xingjuan Tao, Mengyao Li, Yaqi Zhu, Anqi Wu, Lili Hou

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Experiences and perceptions of cancer patients receiving virtual reality therapy: a meta‑synthesis of qualitative research.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yuanyuan Zhang *Department of Nursing, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yueping Wang *Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Jie WuSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Haocen WangSchool of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA.
Xingjuan TaoShanghai Jiao Tong University School of Nursing, Shanghai, China.
Mengyao LiSchool of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yaqi ZhuSchool of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Anqi WuDepartment of Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Lili HouShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. pisces_liz@163.com.

Funding

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Science and Technology Innovation Project (Humanities and Social Sciences Category) WK2520Shanghai Municipal Health Commission Health Industry Clinical Research Project 20224Y0168
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeReturning to work has been considered a significant indicator of cancer rehabilitation. Young and middle-aged head and neck cancer survivors face specific challenges during this process, yet their positive post-returning experiences remain underexplored. This study aimed to uncover these positive experiences to inform strategies for optimizing returning to work outcomes.

methodsA qualitative study employing interpretive description methodology was conducted with 15 young and middle-aged head and neck cancer survivors who had returned to work from August 2023 to April 2024. Participants were invited to participate in face-to-face, individual, semi-structured interviews. We recruited the participants using convenience and snowball sampling from one tertiary comprehensive hospital in Shanghai, which also serves as the National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases.

resultsFifteen participants had a mean age of 43.7 (standard deviation[SD] = 6.7), and the average time from completion of surgery to return is 6 months (SD = 4.9). Interview data analysis indicated that the return to work provided positive experiences in three themes: (1) personal growth, (2) family dynamics, and (3) workplace engagement, with 10 sub-themes identified.

conclusionsThis qualitative study indicated that although HNC participants encountered challenges during the process of returning, RTW brought them positive experiences in personal growth, family dynamics, and work engagement. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: It is essential that healthcare providers convey this perspective to patients and their families throughout the treatment and rehabilitation process. Multisectoral collaboration-integrating healthcare systems, workplaces, and social policies-is essential to sustain survivors' motivation and address systemic barriers during reintegration.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsHead and Neck NeoplasmsReturn to WorkAdultChinaFamily RelationsFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchWorkplacePositive experienceReturning to workYoung and middle-aged head and neck cancer survivors

Identifiers

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.