Can coping with a cancer diagnosis contribute to psychological and cardiovascular problems in family members?

New research suggests that a family member’s cancer diagnosis may increase first-degree relatives’ and spouses’ risks of developing psychological and cardiovascular illnesses. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Having a family member diagnosed with cancer can be a stressful and traumatic experience for the entire family. Because stress influences not only mental health but also cardiovascular health, investigators explored whether a cancer diagnosis contributes to negative psychological and cardiovascular outcomes in family members.

Using data from the Utah Population Database, the researchers identified 77,938 first-degree relatives and spouses of 49,284 individuals diagnosed with genitourinary cancer between 1990 and 2015, and they compared them with 81,022 relatives and spouses of 246,775 individuals not diagnosed with cancer.

The team found that 7.1% of relatives and spouses were diagnosed with a psychological illness within 5 years of a family member’s cancer diagnosis, and 7.6% were diagnosed with a cardiovascular illness. Compared with controls, they had 10%, 5%, and 4% higher risks of developing a psychological condition at 1, 3, and 5 years after a family member’s cancer diagnosis. They also had 28%, 16%, and 14% higher risks of developing cardiovascular disease at 1, 3, and 5 years.

Parents of children with cancer experienced the highest risks of developing negative health outcomes—a nearly 4-times increased risk at 1-year compared with other relatives. Also, a diagnosis of kidney or bladder cancer appeared to be the most stressful among genitourinary cancer types, while testis cancer was the least.

“A diagnosis of cancer is a life-changing event for patients and their families. With our group’s unique access to the Utah Population Database, we were able to create multi-generational networks highlighting the impact of a cancer diagnosis on families,” said lead author Mouneeb Choudry, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, in Phoenix, Arizona. “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.”

Additional information 
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com 

Full Citation: 
“Genitourinary Cancer and Family: The Reverberating Psychological and Cardiovascular Effects of a Genitourinary Cancer Diagnosis on First-Degree Relatives and Spouses.” Mouneeb M. Choudry, Nicole Murray, Kassandra Dindinger-Hill, Jacob Ambrose, Trevor Hunt, Joshua Horns, Christopher Martin, Benjamin Haaland, William Lowrance, Heidi A. Hanson, Richard Matern, Patrick C. Cartwright, and Brock O’Neil. CANCER; Published Online: September 9, 2024 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35486) 
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.35486  

Author Contact: Choudry.Mouneeb@mayo.edu

About the Journal     
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer and Instagram @ACSJournalCancer, and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on LinkedIn. 

About Wiley      
Wiley is a knowledge company and a global leader in research, publishing, and knowledge solutions. Dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge, Wiley serves the world’s researchers, learners, innovators, and leaders, helping them achieve their goals and solve the world's most important challenges. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential.  Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.