Depression, Anxiety Do Not Increase Overall Risk for Cancer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2023 -- Depression and anxiety are not related to an increased risk for most cancers, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Cancer.
Lonneke A. van Tuijl, Ph.D., from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues used data from the Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence consortium (18 cohorts; 319,613 individuals) to examine the association between depression and anxiety with cancer risk.
The researchers observed no associations between depression or anxiety and overall or for breast, prostate, colorectal, and alcohol-related cancers. However, associations were seen for depression and anxiety (symptoms and diagnoses) with the incidence of lung cancer and smoking-related cancers (hazard ratios, 1.06 to 1.60), although these associations were substantially reduced when additionally adjusting for known risk factors, including smoking, alcohol use, and body mass index (hazard ratios, 1.04 to 1.23).
"Our results may come as a relief to many patients with cancer who believe their diagnosis is attributed to previous anxiety or depression," van Tuijl said in a statement. "However, further research is needed to understand exactly how depression, anxiety, health behaviors, and lung cancer are related."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2023
Read this next
Vaginal Cancer Incidence Increasing Globally
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- The incidence of vaginal cancer is increasing globally, according to a study published online June 25 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics...
Perinatal Suicide Tied to Intimate Partner Problems, Depression, Substance Use
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Perinatal suicide is often associated with intimate partner problems (IPPs) and behavioral health issues, according to a study published online...
High Social Media Use Tied to Depression in Only Some Teens
TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- High social media use is only tied to increased depression in teens who are already vulnerable, according to a study published online June 26 in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.