title: Comorbid mental disorders in hospital records of Hispanic patients diagnosed with cancer in Connecticut.
abstract: Comorbid mental disorder is a potential prognostic factor among newly diagnosed cancer patients, including the growing numbers of Hispanic Americans. This study examined the frequency of recording of comorbid mental conditions in hospital records for 737 newly diagnosed Hispanic American cancer patients (358 men and 379 women), ascertained from the population-based Connecticut cancer registry. A comorbid mental disorder(s) was found for 112 patients (15.2%), including 20.3% of women and 9.8% of men. Of these 112 patients, 80% had a specific psychotropic medication(s) recorded, thus supporting the presence of comorbidity. Prevalence of a comorbid mental disorder declined with age but did not differ by primary language (Spanish/bilingual vs. English). Similar studies are needed of Hispanic (and non-Hispanic) patients in other central cancer registries, for potential large-scale, population-based studies of comorbid mental disorder in relation to prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Connecticut Tumor Registry, Connecticut Department of Public Health, 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford CT 06134-0308, USA. anthony.polednak@ct.gov
authors.forename: Anthony P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Polednak
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D011379:Prognosis; D018426:SEER Program; D017678:Sex Distribution