Yi-Ping Hung1,2, Chia-Jen Liu1,3,2,4, Chia-Fen Tsai3,5, Man-Hsin Hung1,2, Cheng-Hwai Tzeng1,2, Chun-Yu Liu1,2,6, Tzeng-Ji Chen6,7. 1. Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 6. Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 7. Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the incidence and risk of mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders, in Taiwanese patients after the diagnosis of breast cancer compared with a matched cohort. METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2005, 26,629 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were enrolled by the Taiwan National Health Insurance program database. The control cohort was selected randomly from 1,000,000 National Health Insurance beneficiaries from a population of 21,400,826 enrolled throughout Taiwan. Each patient was matched with one subject without breast cancer by age, sex, and presence of comorbidities with the same diagnosis index date. The diagnosis of mood disorders was defined by compatible International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, clinical modification codes plus the prescription of antidepressants for at least 30 days. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate ratio of mood disorders was 1.33 (95% CI 1.28-1.39, p < 0.001) in the breast cancer cohort compared with the matched cohort. The incidence rate ratios for specific mood disorders were 2.06 for bipolar disorder (95% CI 1.37-3.15 p = 0.0003), 1.94 for major depressive disorder (95% CI 1.76-2.13 p < 0.001), and 1.22 for anxiety (95% CI 1.16-1.27 p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for developing mood disorders included breast cancer, as well as age, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, autoimmune disease, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer is a prominent risk factor for mood disorders, including major depressive disorder, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The impact is most potent in the first year after diagnosis. Psychological support is a critical issue in these patients.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the incidence and risk of mood disorders, including major depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders, in Taiwanese patients after the diagnosis of breast cancer compared with a matched cohort. METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2005, 26,629 newly diagnosed breast cancerpatients were enrolled by the Taiwan National Health Insurance program database. The control cohort was selected randomly from 1,000,000 National Health Insurance beneficiaries from a population of 21,400,826 enrolled throughout Taiwan. Each patient was matched with one subject without breast cancer by age, sex, and presence of comorbidities with the same diagnosis index date. The diagnosis of mood disorders was defined by compatible International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, clinical modification codes plus the prescription of antidepressants for at least 30 days. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate ratio of mood disorders was 1.33 (95% CI 1.28-1.39, p < 0.001) in the breast cancer cohort compared with the matched cohort. The incidence rate ratios for specific mood disorders were 2.06 for bipolar disorder (95% CI 1.37-3.15 p = 0.0003), 1.94 for major depressive disorder (95% CI 1.76-2.13 p < 0.001), and 1.22 for anxiety (95% CI 1.16-1.27 p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for developing mood disorders included breast cancer, as well as age, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, autoimmune disease, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS:Breast cancer is a prominent risk factor for mood disorders, including major depressive disorder, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The impact is most potent in the first year after diagnosis. Psychological support is a critical issue in these patients.