Research project
Study of cancer diagnostics, cancer treatment, and cancer mortality among individuals with concurrent mental illness/substance use disorder.
Individuals with mental disorders/substance use disorders have a significantly reduced life expectancy, primarily related to somatic illness. This project examines variations in cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, and mortality among cancer patients with and without a previously diagnosed mental disorder/substance use disorder.
About the Project
People with mental disorders and/or substance use disorders have a significantly reduced life expectancy, primarily related to somatic illness. This project examines variations in cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, and mortality among cancer patients with and without previously diagnosed mental disorders or substance use disorders. The introduction of standardized cancer pathways provides a unique opportunity to investigate whether coordination and standardization of assessment and treatment processes help reduce unjustified variation in health, including the degree of advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and mortality. The project also investigates access to, and time to, diagnosis and stage-appropriate treatment for specific cancer diagnoses. The project, which includes a number of experienced researchers, links large datasets from specialist and primary healthcare services, the Cancer Registry, the Drug Registry, NAV, Statistics Norway, and the Cause of Death Registry.
Purpose
To investigate any differences in mortality and the extent of/time to diagnosis and treatment among first-time cancer patients with and without previously diagnosed mental disorders or substance use disorders, as well as to examine whether the introduction of standardized cancer pathways has changed the prognosis for cancer patients with previously diagnosed mental disorders/substance use disorders.
Research Questions
- Do cancer patients with and without previously diagnosed mental disorders or substance use disorders have the same likelihood of being included in standardized cancer pathways? What characterizes patients who are not included?
- Is there unexplained variation among cancer patients with and without previously diagnosed mental disorders/substance use disorders regarding the degree of advanced disease, the extent of, and time to, adequate cancer diagnosis and treatment? Have there been changes in any differences in the period following the introduction of standardized cancer pathways?
- Has the difference in lethality after cancer changed over time for patients with and without previously diagnosed mental disorders/substance use disorders? Has the survival rate among cancer patients with mental disorders and/or substance use disorders changed after the introduction of standardized cancer pathways?
Collaborating Institutions:
- UiT - The Arctic University of Norway
- University Hospital of Northern Norway
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health
- Oslo University Hospital