Some seven in 10 young cancer doctors in Europe show signs of burnout because of the demands of the job, a major new survey has revealed.

This is the largest survey of its kind, involving almost 600 oncologists under the age of 40 working throughout Europe. It found that 71% were showing signs of burnout.

According to UK oncologist and lead author of this research, Dr Susana Banerjee, while oncology can be an ‘exceptionally rewarding career', it is also very demanding and stressful.

"Oncologists make complex decisions about cancer management, supervise the use of toxic therapies, work long hours, and continually face patients suffering and dying. Furthermore, young oncologists are now facing increased administration, complaints/medico-legal issues, increasing expectations and workload with reduced resources," she noted.

When all of these factors combine, burnout becomes a real risk.

Dr Banerjee noted that burnout is characterised by emotional exhaustion, loss of purpose and depersonalisation - treating people as if they are objects. It can lead to serious issues for the doctor involved, including depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, substance abuse and suicide. But it can also have a major impact on patients if their doctor can no longer provide compassionate, high-quality care.

The research also pointed out that doctors who are burned out could leave their jobs at an earlier stage, which could lead to workforce issues in the future.

When it came to factors that were linked to a higher risk of burnout, poor work/life balance and too few holiday days were an issue. Hospital factors included having a higher number of patients, having a smaller workforce and having no access to support services. Personal factors included being single, living alone and not having any children.

"I believe as a profession, doctors have a duty to try and address this growing issue at all levels - from universities, individual hospitals and professional societies. Burnout should not be stigmatised as a weakness. We need to support colleagues by focusing on recovery and prevention," Dr Banerjee insisted.

She added that she hoped these results would not discourage young doctors from working in oncolcogy, as it remains ‘one of the most fascinating and rewarding specialties where physicians can make a huge difference in patient outcomes and quality of life'.

The results of the survey were presented at the recent Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO 2014) in Madrid.