title: Depressive mood and subsequent cancer diagnosis in patients undergoing a colonoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with clinical signs that may indicate a colorectal cancer, physicians may interpret the presence of a comorbid depressive mood as either increasing or decreasing the likelihood of cancer diagnosis. This study examined the association between depressive mood in candidates for a colonoscopy and subsequent diagnosis of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-four outpatients [35 men, mean age ± standard deviation (SD) = 56.2 ± 9.8 years, 59 women, mean age ± SD = 54.2 ± 12.9 years] were given the 13-item Beck depression inventory to assess depressive mood before undergoing a colonoscopy. Additional psychological, demographic, and clinical data were collected prior to the colonoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The colonoscopy found a cancer in 18 patients (19.1%). Cancer patients were older (P = 0.015) and more likely to present with anemia (P < 0.001) and unexplained weight loss (P = 0.046). Depressive mood was associated with a subsequent diagnosis of cancer in women (P = 0.007), but not in men (P = 0.985). This association remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders in women (i.e., anemia and unexplained weight loss) (P = 0.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women with clinical signs that warrant a colonoscopy, comorbid depressive mood may be associated with an increased likelihood of colorectal cancer and should not delay the receipt of a guideline-based diagnosis procedure.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de médecine, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abgrall-Barbry
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemogne
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamarque
authors.forename: Bérengère
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leuret
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bydlowski
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dantchev
authors.forename: Silla M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Consoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology