Cancer-related mortality among individuals with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort…

Cohort studyBJPsych open· Aug 2026

Cancer-related mortality among individuals with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Seyyed Muhammad Mahdi Mahdavinoor, Aghil Mollaei, Arash Golzar … Leila Seddigh

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Psychotic DisordersCohort studyPrognosisQ1IF 3.5

Schizophrenia associated with 55% higher cancer-related mortality than general population

Cancer-related mortality among individuals with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Seyyed Muhammad Mahdi Mahdavinoor … Leila Seddigh

BJPsych open · Aug 2026 · Q1 in Psychiatry

Background

Individuals with schizophrenia have shown distinct cancer incidence patterns.

Purpose

We aimed to assess whether their cancer-related mortality differs from the general population overall, by gender and by specific cancer types.

Methods

We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and Embase, up to December 2025.

Results

cancer deaths were higher in schizophrenia than the general population

SMR 1.55 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.07)

null 0

1.16

2.07

CI excludes the null - significant

More results

In gender-stratified analyses, SMRs for all cancers combined were 1.37 (95% CI 1.01-1.87) in men and 1.43 (95% CI 1.15-1.79) in women.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Schizophrenia was associated with substantially elevated cancer-related mortality compared with the general population.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings underscore the need for earlier cancer detection and guideline-concordant, integrated physical and mental healthcare for this high-risk group.

Cancer-related mortality among individuals with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Cancer-related mortality among individuals with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

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