Professor Deirdre Connolly

Between 30 and 40% of women with breast cancer do not return to work after completing treatment, and for those who do, up to 43% report difficulty managing cancer-related symptoms in the work place. We have designed a Work and Cancer self-management intervention to enable women with breast cancer to manage post-treatment health-related difficulties in work and to provide knowledge of work-related entitlements to support women with breast cancer to manage their work activities. A feasibility study demonstrated acceptability of the intervention with 100% retention. Improvements were noted in functional ability and symptom management. Two of ten participants returned to work post-intervention. The findings of the feasibility study support progression to a definitive intervention trial to test the effectiveness of, and costs associated with, the Work and Cancer programme. In order to test the effectiveness of the intervention, a cluster randomised trial design will be used. Two hundred and forty eight women with breast cancer, who have completed treatment and are considering returning to work within six months, will be recruited through national cancer support centres. Each cancer centre will be randomised to the online Work and Cancer intervention or no intervention. A process evaluation will be carried out to examine implementation processes and mechanisms of action of the intervention. An economic evaluation will compare cost effectiveness and healthcare resource use between the intervention and control participants. Employment related outcomes will include return-to-work rates and confidence to return to work. Secondary outcomes will include symptom management, self-efficacy and health-related quality of life. Qualitative data will examine participants' perspectives on the impact of intervention on their return-to work. Process evaluation data will be collected through fidelity logs and interviews with key stakeholders involved in intervention delivery. Economic data will include intervention delivery costs, Quality Adjusted Life-Years and health and social care resource utilisation. Costs relating to absenteeism from work over the course of the trial will also be estimated. If effective in supporting women with breast cancer to return to work, the Work and Cancer programme can be offered as routine cancer survivorship care and tested with other cancer types.

There is increasing national and international recognition that Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivors have difficulty returning to education and work due to ongoing difficulties with their physical, mental, and social health following completion of cancer treatment. As a result, research is recommended to identify survivorship interventions and services needed for this population. The purpose of this study therefore is to examine health difficulties impacting on return to education and/or work for AYA cancer survivors and to identify services required to meet the unique support needs of AYA cancer survivors in Ireland.

In Ireland, one in seven men will develop Prostate cancer (PCa) by the age of 75 years and given the improved diagnostic testing, this number is increasing annually. However, many men with PCa experience considerable physical (incontinence, fatigue, reduced physical activity) and psychological (anxiety, distress, and depression) difficulties that impact on quality of life (QOL). Social prescribing (SP) is a community-based service that links individuals with physical and psychological health difficulties with health-promoting activities and services in their community. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine the potential suitability and acceptability of SP as a mechanism for linking men with PCa with activities and services in their community to improve their physical and psychological health.

Physical activity is a fundamental part of individuals' everyday lives, but many individuals with cancer have been experiencing drastically reduced access to crucial rehabilitation services due to the Covid pandemic. The ability to get back out into the world and among the community again is incredibly important to those who have been through cancer treatment. However there have been far less opportunities for individuals to do this due to Covid-19 restrictions, which have also hugely curtailed support services that help individuals get back to an adequate level of physical activity. This study will test a Personalised Exercise Rehabiliation in Cancer Survivorship (PERCs) Programme, for individuals with cancer.

Social prescribing (SP) is a community-based service that links individuals with chronic diseases to activities in their community such as exercise and arts-based activities, self-help and support programmes, volunteering activities, further education services and skills-development programmes. Social prescribing is usually provided by Link Workers who meet with individuals to establish their activity preferences and where required will accompany individuals to their chosen activity. This process can take up to four meetings over a six-week period. Social prescribing originally started in the UK with individuals with chronic mental health difficulties however, little is known if it is a suitable intervention for older adults with chronic diseases. A social prescribing service was established in a socially disadvantaged inner city area of Dublin. The service was established in 2017 and receives referrals from primary care teams in Dublin 8 for older adults with chronic diseases. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a social prescribing service on activity participation levels, mental health and quality of life of older adults living in Rialto; and to explore the acceptability of social prescribing to older adults with chronic diseases. This is a mixed methods study. The quantitative phase is a quasi-experimental (before and after) design to measure health outcomes of individuals participating in the social prescribing service. The qualitative phase explores individuals' perspectives of social prescribing through semi-structured interviews. Ethical approval has been received from the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee.