Depression and anxiety are often thought to increase the risk of cancer, but research led by Lonneke Van Tuijl of the UMCG shows that this is not the case.
The results of the study into the link between cancer and depression were published on Monday in the scientific magazine CANCER.
Van Tuijl and her colleagues dug into data from 18 study groups from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada, comprising more than 300,000 adults. They found no association between depression or anxiety and breast, prostate, colorectal and alcohol-related cancers and all cancers combined.
Previously, depression or anxiety were associated with a six percent higher risk of developing lung cancer and smoking-related cancers. It now appears that cancer-related risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index and cancer-specific risk factors play a greater role in the development of lung cancer and smoking-related cancers.
“Our results may come as a relief to many cancer patients who believe their diagnosis is attributed to previous anxiety or depression,” says Van Tuijl. “However, further research is needed to understand exactly whether depression, anxiety, health behaviors and lung cancer are linked.”
2023-08-07 07:55:00
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