Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Psychiatry. Aug 19, 2026; 16(8): 120545
Published online Aug 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.120545
Published online Aug 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.120545
Double burden of cancer and bipolar disorder: Implications for mental health care
Giuseppe Marano, Department of Neurosciences, Unit of Psychiatry, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy
Antonio Sottile, Oksana Di Giacomi, Marco Lanzetta, Camilla Scialpi, Department of Neuro
Francesco Pavese, Valentina Ricozzi, Silvia Rotondaro, Antonella Migliore, Tatiana D’Angelo, Paola Fuso, Ida Paris, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy
Gianluca Franceschini, Breast Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma 00168, Italy
Marianna Mazza, Department of Neurosciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
Author contributions: Marano G, Sottile A, Di Giacomi O, Lanzetta M, Scialpi C, and Mazza M were responsible for writing original draft preparation; Marano G, Pavese F, Ricozzi V, Rotondaro S, Migliore A, D’Angelo T, Fuso P, and Mazza M were responsible for resources; Marano G, Franceschini G, Paris I, and Mazza M were responsible for writing review and editing; Marano G and Mazza M were responsible for conceptualization; all authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: ChatGPT was used to assist with English-language polishing and correction of minor linguistic inaccuracies. Gemini was also used to assist with the generation of figures included in the manuscript. All figures were subsequently reviewed, checked for accuracy, and approved by the authors, who take full responsibility for their content. The authors confirm that they take full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, originality, and scientific content of the manuscript, including any AI-assisted language editing and AI-assisted figure generation.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Marianna Mazza, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A Gemelli 8, Rome 00168, Italy.
Received: March 1, 2026
Revised: March 11, 2026
Accepted: March 30, 2026
Published online: August 19, 2026
Processing time: 138 Days and 10.1 Hours
Revised: March 11, 2026
Accepted: March 30, 2026
Published online: August 19, 2026
Processing time: 138 Days and 10.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Patients with bipolar disorder represent a clinically vulnerable population in oncology, facing increased cancer risk, delayed diagnosis, and a high likelihood of mood destabilization during cancer treatment. This review highlights how shared inflammatory and neuroendocrine pathways, together with corticosteroid exposure and complex drug-drug interactions, may worsen both psychiatric and oncological outcomes. Recognizing bipolar disorder as a relevant modifier of cancer care is essential to promote early screening, individualized pharmacological strategies, and integrated psychiatry-oncology collaboration aimed at improving survival and quality of life.