Preexisting stress-related diagnoses and mortality: A Danish cancer cohort study

• Authors: Lindsay J Collin, University of Utah; Katalin Veres, Aarhus University Hospital; Jaimie L Gradus, Boston University; Thomas P Ahern, University of Vermont; Timothy Lash, Emory University; Henrik Toft Sørensen, Aarhus University Hospital
• Journal Title: CANCER
• Volume: Volume 128, Number 6
• Publisher: WILEY | 2021-11-19, Pages 1312-1320
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34036
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Chemistry, Biochemistry
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Oncology; cancer survivorship; neoplasms; prognosis; stress-related disorders; trauma; ADJUSTMENT DISORDER DIAGNOSES; BREAST-CANCER; TRAUMA; HEALTH; RISK; COMORBIDITY; SYSTEM

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the association between preexisting stress-related diagnoses and mortality in a Danish population–based cancer cohort. Methods: This study included Danish patients with cancer diagnosed in 1995-2011 who had a stress-related diagnosis before their cancer diagnosis. Cancer patients without a prior stress-related diagnosis were matched 5:1 to the stress disorder cohort by cancer site, age group, calendar period, and sex. The 5-year cumulative incidence of cancer-specific and all-cause mortality was computed by stress-related diagnosis category. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associating stress-related diagnoses with mortality were computed by follow-up time, stress-related diagnosis category, stage, comorbidity status, and cancer type. Results: This study identified 4437 cancer patients with a preexisting stress-related diagnosis and 22,060 matched cancer cohort members. The 5-year cumulative risk of cancer-specific mortality was 33% (95% CI, 32%-35%) for those with a preexisting stress-related diagnosis and 29% (95% CI, 28%-29%) for those without a prior stress-related diagnosis. Cancer patients with a preexisting stress-related diagnosis had a 1.3 times higher cancer-specific mortality rate than the comparison cohort members (95% CI, 1.2-1.5). This increase persisted across categories of stress-related diagnosis. The association varied by stage and cancer type, with more pronounced associations found among those with a late stage at diagnosis and hematological malignancies. Conclusions: Cancer patients with preexisting stress-related diagnoses had increased rates of cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. The results suggest that psychiatric comorbidities may be an important consideration for cancer prognosis, and cancer treatment informed by a patient's history may improve outcomes.