Personality and the Risk of Cancer

Naoki Nakaya · Yoshitaka Tsubono · Yoshikazu Nishino · Takayoshi Ohkubo · Atsushi Hozawa · Daisuke Shibuya +3 more

87 citations0/0 files storedJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute

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Personality Traits and Psychology Cancer Risks and Factors Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The role of personality in the causation of cancer has been controversial. We examined this question in a large, prospective study. METHODS: From June through August 1990, 30 277 residents of Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan completed a Japanese version of the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised and a questionnaire on various health habits. There were 671 prevalent cases of cancer at baseline, and 986 incident cases of cancer were identified during 7 years of follow-up, through December 1997. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) of incident cancer (total, stomach, colorectal, breast, and lung) according to four levels of each of four personality subscales (extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism, and lie), with adjustment for sex, age, education, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, and family history of cancer. Statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Multivariable RRs of total cancer for individuals in the highest level of each personality subscale as compared with those in the lowest were 0.9 for extraversion (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7 to 1.1; P(trend) =.32), 1.1 for psychoticism (95% CI = 0.9 to 1.3; P(trend) =.96), 0.9 for lie (95% CI = 0.7 to 1.0; P(trend) =.19), and 1.2 for neuroticism (95% CI = 1.0 to 1.4; P(trend) =.06). There were no associations between any personality subscale and risk of specific cancers. Neuroticism showed statistically significant positive, linear associations with prevalent cancer at baseline (P(trend)<.001) and with the 320 incident cancer cases diagnosed within the first 3 years of follow-up (P(trend) =.03); however, it showed no association with the 666 cases diagnosed during the fourth through the seventh years of follow-up (P(trend) =.43). CONCLUSION: Our data do not support the hypothesis that personality is a risk factor for cancer incidence. The association between neuroticism and prevalent cancer may be a consequence, rather than a cause, of cancer diagnosis or symptoms.

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References

2002Who takes health risks? A probe into eight personality types 1962Personality in male lung cancer patients 1991Tales From Crvenka and Heidelberg: What About the Empirical Basis?1994Factors Influencing Adjustment of High School Students in an International Exchange Program

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2014Is personality associated with cancer incidence and mortality? An individual-participant meta-analysis of 2156 incident cancer cases among 42 843 men and women 2013The interpersonally sensitive disposition and health: An integrative review.

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