Enhanced cancer risk among patients with bipolar disorder.
BACKGROUND
In contrast to numerous epidemiological studies that explored the risk for cancer among persons with schizophrenic psychoses, analogous studies conducted on people with bipolar disorder are rarer, despite some commonalities in biological, treatment-related variables and unhealthy lifestyles. This study investigates the risk for cancer among psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.


METHODS
Linkage analysis was conducted based on the psychiatric and the cancer national databases. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) for both aggregated sites and for breast cancer were calculated by comparing the incidence rates among hospitalized patients with bipolar disorder with the incidence rates in the Jewish-Israeli general population.


RESULTS
An enhanced cancer risk was found for bipolar disorder in both genders: men, SIR 1.59 (95% CI 1.01-2.17); women, SIR 1.75 (95% CI 1.31-2.18). The risk for breast cancer was higher, but not significantly, than in the general female population, SIR 1.70 (95% CI 0.99-2.41).


CONCLUSIONS
Our sample was derived from psychiatric inpatients, thus it is likely that the bipolar disorder cases had greater severity. Putative factors such as diet, smoking and medications were not investigated.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed an enhanced risk for cancer among patients with bipolar disorder. Clinicians might note this risk for timely diagnosis and treatment.
BarChana
Micha
M
Cancer Registry, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel.
Levav
Itzhak
I
Lipshitz
Irena
I
Pugachova
Inna
I
Kohn
Robert
R
Weizman
Abraham
A
Grinshpoon
Alexander
A
D000367:Age Factors; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010343:Patient Admission; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors