Schizophrenia and Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Rodemer Ira, Vetter Céline, Kalder Matthias, Hajek André, Kostev Karel, Jurado María del Mar Molero, Martínez África Martos
Primary Institution: IQVIA
Hypothesis
What is the association between schizophrenia and cancer diagnoses?
Conclusion
Patients with schizophrenia have a lower incidence of cancer diagnoses compared to those without the condition.
Supporting Evidence
- 10.4% of patients with schizophrenia were diagnosed with cancer compared to 12.5% of those without.
- Cox regression analysis showed a significant association between schizophrenia and lower cancer risk in men.
- Schizophrenia was significantly associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer in men.
Takeaway
People with schizophrenia are less likely to get cancer, especially men, who have a much lower chance of getting prostate cancer.
Methodology
This study used a retrospective cohort design analyzing data from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database, comparing cancer incidence in patients with and without schizophrenia.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to reliance on ICD-10 classifications and lack of information on medication use and lifestyle factors.
Limitations
The study relied on pre-existing data, which limited control over lifestyle factors and other variables, and only included outpatient data.
Participant Demographics
The study included 13,711 individuals with schizophrenia and 68,555 without, with a mean age of approximately 52 years and 50.2% female.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
0.76–0.90
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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