Cancer Incidence and Mental Illness

	CDC Releases Current Rates of Smoking Among Adults with Mental Illness Early last year, the CDC released a MMWR on the prevalence of smoking among adults with a mental illness. The report revealed that people with a mental illness are almost twice as likely to smoke, smoke more cigarettes per month, and are less likely to quit than adults without a mental illness. >> Read more >> Visit the CDC Vital Signs Smoking Among Adults with Mental Illness webpage
	Cancer Incidence Among Maryland Residents with Serious Mental Illness Adults with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were 2.6 times more likely to develop cancer overall, and four times more likely to develop lung cancer over their lifetime than the general population. The study revealed that the risk factors that lead to these site specific cancers remain prevalent amongst those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. >> Read more
	Cancer Contributes to Mortality in People with Schizophrenia A recently published study found that the mortality rate for those with schizophrenia was double the rest of the population. Cancer death rates were found to be higher within the 40-59 year old population and the prevalence of lung cancer was greater in people with schizophrenia. >> Read more From National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control

Cancer Disparities and Mental Illness

Individuals with Anxiety Disorders May Be At Higher Risk for Cancer Generalized anxiety is one of the most common anxiety disorders among the general population.  Studies have shown that psychological factors like stress and anxiety can lead to impaired immune and endocrine function.  Individuals with anxiety disorders are almost 2 times more likely to develop lung cancer and prostate cancer than the general population. >> Read more
	Disparities in Survival Among Patients with Mental Illness and Oral Cancer Oral cancer is one of the ten most common cancers in the world.  Patients with oral cancer and mental illness demonstrate a poor prognosis and are 1.58 times more likely to experience mortality compared to an oral cancer patient without mental illness according to one study.  >> Read more
	Increased Tobacco-Related Mortality Among Individuals Diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, or Depression In a study of tobacco related conditions and mortality rates amongst hospitalized psychiatric patients, tobacco linked diseases were approximately 53% of total deaths of patients with schizophrenia, 48% for those with bipolar, and 50% for patients with depression.  Tobacco use among people with schizophrenia ranges from 45-88%, 40-60% among those with major depression, and 33-70% among those with bipolar disorder. >> Read more  from National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control