Psychological Illness, CVD Risk Increased for Relatives, Spouses of Cancer Patients

Increased risk for developing a psychological illness, CVD at one year seen after family member’s cancer diagnosis

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Cancer diagnosis is associated with an increased risk for psychological illness and cardiovascular disease among first-degree relatives and spouses of patients, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in Cancer.

Using data from the Utah Population Database, Mouneeb M. Choudry, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort analysis to examine the risk for psychological illness and cardiovascular disease in firstâ€degree relatives and spouses of patients diagnosed with a genitourinary cancer between 1990 and 2015 compared to relatives of those without a genitourinary cancer.

A total of 49,284 patients with a genitourinary cancer were identified, with 77,938 first-degree relatives and spouses; 246,775 patients with 81,022 firstâ€degree relatives and spouses were included in the matched control group. The researchers found that at one year after a family member’s cancer diagnosis, there was an increased risk for developing psychological illness and cardiovascular disease (hazard ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.10 [1.00 to 1.20] and 1.28 [1.17 to 1.41], respectively).

“As health care professionals, we should take a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the stress of a cancer diagnosis by helping mitigate financial toxicity, treatment burden, and emotional impact on both the patient and their family,” Choudry said in a statement.