Mental Health Disorders After Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis

Mental health disorders proportion was 29.9 percent, an increase from 20.6 percent before head and neck cancer diagnosis, stated new study.

Using information from a large insurance claims database, this study examined how common mental health disorders were in patients with HNC and how they were associated with diagnosis and treatment.

Women and patients with a history of tobacco use and alcohol use were more likely to develop mental health disorders. The study may have underestimated how common mental health disorders were among the patients.

Authors: Neerav Goyal, M.D., M.P.H., Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, and coauthors (doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2018.4512)

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Source: Eurekalert