According to a new study, a person with cancer increases their risk of death if they have a history of mental problems.
Worldwide, approximately one in six deaths is due to cancer. According to’World Health Organization (WHO), a third of these cancer-related deaths are caused by risk factors or modifiable behaviors. Among these behaviors there is the fact of not doing enough sports, smoking, drinking alcohol or not eating enough balanced.
In the United States, a team of researchers, led by Zachary Klaassen, an oncologist at the Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta (Georgia), has found another risk factor for death. Thus, a cancer patient with a history of mental problems would be less likely to survive the disease. The results of the study are published in the journal British Journal of Cancer.
A 73% increased risk of death
The researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 675,000 people with cancer diagnosed between 1997 and 2014. Each patient suffered from one of the ten most common cancers: prostate, breast, lung, kidney, bladder, colorectal cancer, melanoma, endometrial cancer (body of the uterus), thyroid and mouth. Almost half of the participants underwent a psychiatric evaluation. In the five years preceding the diagnosis of cancer, 7,900 people received urgent psychiatric help, more than 4,000 were admitted to hospital with a mental health problem.
The results of the study are clear: patients hospitalized for mental problems had a 73% increased risk of death. Those who received emergency psychiatric help from a doctor were 36% more likely to die of their cancer. Finally, those who consulted a general practitioner about a mental health problem had a 5% higher risk of dying.
The body defends itself less well against cancer
“Recent psychiatric history should be a red flag for all doctors and nurses treating cancer patients,” says Zachary Klaassen. He adds: “It is essential that we closely monitor these patients to ensure that they receive the best possible care and that they are followed up, especially when they miss appointments.” For Klaassen, the psychological stress that often accompanies mental health issues can affect the body’s natural defense mechanisms. For example, stress-related depression could affect our body’s ability to detect and fight cancer.
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