Monteiro I, Morais S, Costa AR, et al. - In total, 462 women with incident breast cancer were assessed before treatment and 3- and 5-years later in order to evaluate how sociodemographic, clinical and treatment features impact employment status five-years following a breast cancer diagnosis, and to contrast the incidence rate of changes with the general population. Of the 242 women who were working before diagnosis, 162 remained in jobs, 26 became unemployed, 27 entered early retirement, 14 entered normal retirement and 13 were on sick leave at 5-years. Unemployment increased with age and reduced with education. In addition, axillary surgery, hormonal therapy and targeted therapy influenced employment status. Five years after diagnosis, there was a lower incidence of unemployment among women with breast cancer than the general population, while there was a higher propensity among older women to take early retirement. Although not all women may want to pursue or continue a professional life after their experience with breast cancer; once returning to work, those who do may benefit from social and employer support.