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| Research article summary (published 13 Jun 2009): |
Psychiatric disorder as a first manifestation of cancer: a 10-year population-based study.
Full Abstract
To investigate the possibility that psychiatric symptoms could be caused by a yet undetected cancer or be part of a paraneoplastic syndrome, nationwide population-based registers were linked including the Danish Psychiatric Central Register and the Danish Cancer Registry. Data were analysed as a cohort study using survival analysis techniques and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were used as measures of relative risk. A total of 4,320,623 persons were followed in the 10-year period 1994-2003, resulting in 37,581,600 person-years at risk, 202,144 persons with a first-time psychiatric contact, and 208,995 persons diagnosed with cancer. During the first month after a first-time psychiatric contact, the incidence of all forms of cancer was elevated; IRR: 2.61 (95% CI, 2.31-2.95). Particularly the incidence of brain tumours was elevated; IRR: 18.85 (95% CI, 14.52-24.48), but also the incidence of lung cancer; IRR: 2.98 (95% CI, 2.16-4.12), and especially small-cell lung cancer; IRR: 6.13 (95% CI, 3.39-11.07) was elevated. The elevated IRR for most cancers decreased towards unity within the first 3 months, except for brain tumours, for which the IRR remained significantly elevated during the first 9 months. One of every 63 patients above 50 years of age was diagnosed with malignant cancer within 1 year of first-time psychiatric contact. These results indicate an increased incidence of cancer, especially for brain tumours and small-cell lung cancer, in the first months after a first-time contact to a psychiatric hospital. Clinicians should be aware that first-onset psychiatric symptoms could be a sign of a yet undetected cancer. Copyright 2008 UICC.
Author information
Author/s: Benros, Michael E (ME); Laursen, Thomas M (TM); Dalton, Susanne O (SO); Mortensen, Preben B (PB);
Affiliation: National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. Benros(-atsign-)ncrr.dk
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer (Int J Cancer), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2009-Jun; vol 124 (issue 12) : pp 2917-22
Dates: Created 2009/04/20; Completed 2009/05/22;
PMID: 19330831, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/22/2009, IMS Date: 22 May 2009 00:00:00)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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