Cancer incidence and survival following bereavement

Objectives. This study investigated the effect of parental bereavement on c ancer incidence and survival. Methods. A cohort of 6284 Jewish Israelis who lost an adult son in the Yom Kippur War or in an accident between 1970 and 1977 was followed for 20 year s. We compared the incidence of cancer in this cohort with that among nonbe reaved members of the population by logistic regression analysis. The survi val of bereaved parents with cancer was compared with that of matched contr ols with cancer. Results. Increased incidence was found for lymphatic and hematopoietic mali gnancies among the parents of accident victims (odds ratio [OR] = 2.01; 95% confidence interval [Cl]= 1.30, 3.11) and among war-bereaved parents (OR = 1.47: 95% CI = 1.13, 1.92), as well as for melanomas (OR = 4.62 [95% CI = 1.93, 11.06] and 1.71 [95% CI = 1.06, 2.76], respectively). Accident-bereav ed parents also had an increased risk of respiratory cancer (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.07, 2.11). The survival study showed that the risk of death was inc reased by bereavement if the cancer had been diagnosed before the loss, but not after. Conclusions. This study showed an effect of stress On the incidence of mali gnancies for selected sites and accelerated demise among parents bereaved f ollowing a diagnosis of cancer, but not among those bereaved before such a diagnosis.