BACKGROUND The incidence of cancer in patients with schizophrenia has been conversely reported to be higher, lower, or similar to that in the general population. The effects of lifestyle factors such as excess smoking, exposure to neuroleptic medications, and genetic factors that may influence the incidence of cancer in this group are not clear. The current study was performed to evaluate the frequency of cancer in a large cohort of patients with schizophrenia and to determine the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of any malignancy in this group. METHODS Data regarding the design, setting, and participants of the current study were analyzed from a cohort of 3226 patients with schizophrenia who were enrolled in the computerized health registry of the Abarbanel Mental Health Center between1993–2003. The mean age of the patients at the time of the diagnosis of cancer was 49 ± 14.7 years, with the majority of patients (61%) being male. All patients with schizophrenia records in the database were combined with the records of the Israeli National Cancer Registry to identify pathologically confirmed cancer comorbidity. The cancer incidence rates among patients with schizophrenia were compared with the expected incidence in an age‐matched and gender‐matched general population sample for the same time interval. RESULTS Among 1247 female patients with schizophrenia, 22 (1.8%) developed breast cancer and 68 (5.5%) developed cancers of any type. Fifty‐two of the 1979 male schizophrenic patients (2.6%) developed cancer. The SIRs were 0.58 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.48–0.69) with a P value of < 0.05 for all cancers in the cohort, and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.37–0.90) for female breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current study demonstrate a reduced risk of cancer in patients with schizophrenia. The mechanisms responsible for the lower risk need be investigated further. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.

Studies of late-onset schizophrenia began in the early 1940s with work by M. Bleuler. Despite this fact, the emphasis on age of onset in young adulthood distracted researchers of schizophrenia from accumulating data on the subgroup of patients whose disease onset is in late life. Recently, the diagnostic entity of very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (VLOSLP) was proposed for patients with disease onset after age 60 years, and it may have validity and clinical utility. The present study aims to prospectively identify patients suffering from VLOSLP over a 2-year period and to compare them with elderly schizophrenia patients on measures of brain structure, demographics, and treatment response, so that distinct features, if any, can be identified. Twenty-one VLOSLP patients (15 women, 6 men; mean age, 78.1 years) were enrolled and compared with 21 age- and gender-matched elderly schizophrenia patients. All had undergone brain CT scan, and all were treated with risperidone. The VLOSLP group was characterized by more education, higher percentage being married, more pronounced cerebellar atrophy, and better response to treatment. The authors suggest that VLOSLP is a valid diagnostic entity and that its features imply that involvement of neurodegenerative process may be etiologically relevant to psychosis with onset in late life.

Behavioral and psychologic symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common manifestations in mid- and late-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Traditional treatments for BPSD are neuroleptics and sedatives, which are not devoid of serious adverse effects. A number of studies show beneficial effects in the treatment of BPSD with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI). The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of donepezil (using the generic drug Memorit) as monotherapy for AD patients suffering from BPSD. Twenty-eight consecutive patients followed at the Memory Outpatient Clinic and Psychogeriatric Department of the Abarbanel Mental Health Center were treated with donepezil for 6 months. Starting dose was 5 mg daily during the first 4 weeks and continuation with 10 mg daily thereafter. Treatment effects were evaluated using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Clinical Global Impression of Change Scale (CGIC) caregiver version. Twenty-four of 28 patients completed the study. Of these, five patients needed additional rescue neuroleptic treatment due to incomplete response. The mean dose of donepezil was 9.10 mg/day (median 10 mg/day). The overall NPI improved significantly from 33.4 to 21.2 (p = 0.008). The mean CGIC at study's end was 3.0 (mild improvement). The cognitive scores did not change significantly. When compared to the patients who completed the study, patients who discontinued had higher mean scores on the irritability and agitation subscales of the NPI, they were older, and they had longer disease duration and lower MMSE mean scores. Three adverse events were recorded: one syncope causing a toe phalanx fracture and gastrointestinal complaints that resolved over time in two additional patients. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors should be considered for the treatment of BPSD before neuroleptic treatment is instituted in AD patients with low levels of irritability and agitation.

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