Are chronic psychiatric patients at increased risk for developing breast cancer?
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to assess the incidence of breast cancer among chronic psychiatric patients.


METHODS
They reviewed mammograms and charts of 275 female patients over the age of 40 in a state psychiatric hospital and 928 women of comparable age at a general hospital radiology clinic.


RESULTS
The incidence of breast cancer documented by pathology reports among the psychiatric patients was more than 3.5 times higher than that of patients at the general hospital and 9.5 times higher than the reported incidence in the general population.


CONCLUSIONS
If confirmed, the suspected higher incidence of breast cancer among the psychiatric patients might be due to medications and further underscores the need for screening mammograms for breast cancer in these patients.
Halbreich
U
U
Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Buffalo, NY 14215, USA.
Shen
J
J
Panaro
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors