US scientists say cancer patients who develop a mental health condition within a year of their diagnosis are more likely than those who do not to die within the next few years. The team looked at data on 371,189 US cancer patients, 39,687 (10.6%) of whom developed a mental health disorder within a year. Crunching the numbers, they found that, overall, 23.1% of the patients died during follow-up. Developing a mental illness in the year after a cancer diagnosis was linked with a 51% higher risk of death in the first three years after that diagnosis, dropping to a 17% higher risk three to five years afterwards. After five years, risk returned to normal. The findings highlight the importance of timely screening for and treatment of mental health problems following a cancer diagnosis, the authors conclude.
Cancer patients who develop a mental illness more likely to die
