title: Personality and the risk of cancer: a 16-year follow-up study of the GAZEL cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Large-scale prospective studies do not support an association between neuroticism and extroversion with cancer incidence. However, research on other personality constructs is inconclusive. This longitudinal study examined the associations between four personality measures, Type 1, "suppressed emotional expression"; Type 5, "rational/antiemotional"; hostility; and Type A with cancer incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personality measures were available for 13,768 members in the GAZEL cohort study (baseline assessment in 1993). Follow-up for diagnoses of primary cancers was obtained from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2009. Associations between personality and cancer incidence were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards analyses and adjusted for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a median follow-up of 16.0 years (range, 9 days-16 years), 1139 participants were diagnosed as having a primary cancer. The mean duration between baseline and cancer diagnosis was 9.3 years. Type 1 personality was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio per standard deviation = 0.81, 95% confidence interval = 0.68-0.97, p = .02). Type 5 personality was not associated with prostate, breast, colorectal, or smoking-related cancers, but was associated with other cancers (hazard ratio per standard deviation = 1.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.31, p = .01). Hostility was associated with an increased risk of smoking-related cancers, which was explained by smoking habits, and Type A was not associated with any of the cancer endpoints.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several personality measures were prospectively associated with the incidence of selected cancers. These links may warrant further epidemiological studies and investigations about potential biobehavioral mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de médecine, Paris, France. cedric.lemogne@egp.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemogne
authors.forename: Silla M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Consoli
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geoffroy-Perez
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coeuret-Pellicer
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nabi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melchior
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Limosin
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zins
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ducimetière
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Sylvaine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cordier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors