Deciphering the paradoxical incidence of cancer in schizophrenia

The incidence of cancer in schizophrenia has been an area of controversy. The current article aims to provide a commentary outlining the contradictory findings of incidence of cancer in schizophrenia as well as discuss the available theories linking cancer with schizophrenia and address the methodological issues of the studies which could lead to the discrepant findings. A literature search was carried out primarily using the electronic database of MEDLINE through PubMed using the search terms ‘cancer’ and ‘schizophrenia’. Google Scholar was used to supplement the search. The findings were inconclusive, with studies documenting increased, decreased as well as no risk of cancer in patients with schizophrenia, compared with the general population. Several methodological limitations exist with regard to measures of assessment, sample size and selection bias. The association between cancer and schizophrenia remains controversial. Genetic as well as environmental theories exist explaining the paradoxical incidence of cancer in schizophrenia. The methodological factors could contribute to the discrepant findings