Cancer in people with depression or anxiety: record-linkage study

Background It has been suggested that the risk of cancer may be higher in people with psychological disorders, like depression and anxiety, than in the general population. Aims To determine cancer risk in cohorts of people with depression or anxiety, compared with that in a control cohort. Method Analysis of linked statistical records of hospital admission and mortality. Results Lung cancer was more common in those with depression (risk ratio 1.36, 95% confidence intervals 1.19–1.54) or anxiety (1.29, 1.12–1.48) than in others. Excluding lung cancer, the risk ratio for all other cancers combined was 0.98 (0.92–1.04) in the depression cohort and 1.01 (0.95–1.07) in the anxiety cohort. There was a significant association, in the short-term only, between depression, anxiety and the subsequent diagnosis of brain tumours. Conclusions With the exception of lung and brain tumours, cancer risk was not increased in people with depression or anxiety.