Depressive mood and subsequent cancer diagnosis in patients undergoing a colonoscopy.

Background In patients with clinical signs that may indicate a colorectal cancer, physicians may interpret the presence of a comorbid depressive mood as either increasing or decreasing the likelihood of cancer diagnosis. This study examined the association between depressive mood in candidates for a colonoscopy and subsequent diagnosis of cancer. Methods Ninety-four outpatients [35 men, mean age ± standard deviation (SD) = 56.2 ± 9.8 years, 59 women, mean age ± SD=54.2 ± 12.9 years] were given the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory to assess depressive mood before undergoing a colonoscopy. Additional psychological, demographic, and clinical data were collected prior to the colonoscopy. Results The colonoscopy found a cancer in 18 patients (19.1%). Cancer patients were older (P = 0.015) and more likely to present with anemia (P Conclusions In women with clinical signs that warrant a colonoscopy, comorbid depressive mood may be associated with an increased likelihood of colorectal cancer and should not delay the receipt of a guideline-based diagnosis procedure.