title: Cancer mortality in patients with schizophrenia: an 11-year prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia has been associated with a rate of premature mortality that is 2 to 3 times higher than that in the general population. Although the role of cancer in this excess mortality remains unclear, previous incidence or mortality studies found contradictory results.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1993, a large prospective study was initiated in a cohort of 3470 patients with schizophrenia to examine cancer-related mortality and predictors. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated, adjusting for age and sex relative to a representative sample of the French general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 11-year follow-up, 476 (14%) patients died; the mortality rate was thus nearly 4-fold higher than in the general population. Cancer was the second most frequent cause of mortality (n=74), with a global SMR of 1.5 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.2-1.9). For all cancers, the SMRs were 1.4 (not significant) for men and 1.9 (95% CI, 1.4-2.8) for women. For men, lung cancer was the most frequent localization (n=23; 50%), with an SMR of 2.2 (95% CI, 1.6-3.3). For women, breast cancer was the most frequent localization (n=11; 39%), with an SMR of 2.8 (95% CI, 1.6-4.9). In comparison with patients who did not die of cancer, there were 2 significant baseline predictors of death by lung cancer in the final logistic regression model: duration of smoking and age>38 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current study demonstrated an increased risk of mortality by cancer in patients with schizophrenia, especially for women from breast cancer and for men from lung cancer.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Reims, Robert Debré Hospital, Reims, France.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Tran
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Rouillon
authors: Jean-Yves
authors: JY
authors: Loze
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Casadebaig
authors: Alain
authors: A
authors: Philippe
authors: Fabien
authors: F
authors: Vitry
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Limosin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*