Cancer diagnosis increases suicide risk

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Cousins
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Suicide Risk

Suicide risk following a new cancer diagnosis among veterans in Veterans Health Administration care.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 12130-12130
Author(s):  
Kallisse R. Dent ◽  
Benjamin R. Szymanski ◽  
Michael J. Kelley ◽  
Ira Katz ◽  
John F. McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Veterans Health Administration ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Suicide Rates

12130 Background: Patients diagnosed with cancer are at an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes including suicidal behavior. Suicide rates among Veterans are 50 percent greater than for non-Veteran US adults. To inform Veterans Affairs (VA) suicide prevention initiatives, it is important to understand associations between cancer and suicide risk among Veterans receiving VA healthcare from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Study aims were to assess associations between new cancer diagnoses and suicide among Veterans in VHA care to identify high risk diagnostic subgroups and risk-periods. Methods: We used a cohort study design, identifying 4,926,373 Veterans with VHA use in 2011 and either 2012 or 2013 and without a VHA cancer diagnosis in 2011. Incident cancer diagnoses, assessed between first VHA use in 2012-2013 and 12/31/2018, were characterized by subtype and stage using the VHA Oncology Raw Data. Data from the VA/Department of Defense Mortality Data Repository identified date and cause of death. Cox proportional hazards regression, accounting for time-varying cancer diagnosis, was used to evaluate associations between a new cancer diagnosis and suicide risk. An initial model adjusted for VHA regional network and patient age and sex. Cancer subtypes with significant associations with suicide were further assessed using a model that also adjusted for suicide attempts and mental health, tobacco use disorder, and other substance use disorder diagnoses in the prior year. Crude suicide rates following a new cancer diagnoses were calculated among Veterans with new diagnoses, 2012-2018 (N = 240,410). Rates were assessed up to 84 months following diagnosis. Results: On average, Veteran VHA users were followed for 6.0 years after their first VHA use in 2012-2013 and for 2.7 years following a new cancer diagnosis. Receipt of a new cancer diagnosis corresponded to a 43% (Adjusted Hazard Ratio [AHR] = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.29, 1.58) higher suicide risk, adjusting for covariates. The cancer subtype associated with the highest suicide risk was esophageal cancer (AHR = 5.93, 95% CI: 4.05, 10.51) and other significant subtypes included head and neck (AHR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.65, 4.46) and lung cancer (AHR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.79, 2.90). Cancer stages 3 (AHR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.75, 3.01) and 4 (AHR = 3.45, 95% CI: 2.75, 4.34) at diagnosis were also positively associated with suicide risk. Suicide rates were highest in the first three months following a diagnosis (Rate = 128.3 per 100,000 person-years, 95% CI: 100.4, 161.6) and remained elevated through the first 12 months. Conclusions: Among Veteran VHA users, suicide risk was elevated following a new cancer diagnosis and was especially high in the initial 3 months. Additional screening and suicide prevention efforts may be warranted for VHA Veterans newly diagnosed with cancer, particularly among those diagnosed with esophageal, head and neck, or lung cancer or at stages 3 or 4.

scholarly journals Risk of Suicide After a Cancer Diagnosis in England: A Population-Based Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 228s-228s
Author(s):  
K. Henson ◽  
R. Brock ◽  
J. Charnock ◽  
B. Wickramasinghe ◽  
O. Will ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Cancer Type ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Icd 10

Background: Previous research has identified an increased risk of suicide among cancer patients, however this has not been investigated at a population level in England. Those subgroups of patients most at risk need to be identified to ensure appropriate access to psychological support. Aim: To examine the variation in suicide risk among individuals diagnosed with cancer in England. Methods: We identified 4,453,547 individuals (21 million person-years at risk) aged 18 to 99 years at diagnosis of cancer during 1995 to 2015 from the national cancer registry, and followed them up until 31 August 2017. The outcomes of interest were both suicide and open verdicts (ICD-10 X60-X84, Y87.0, Y10-Y34 [excluding Y33.9, Y87.2]). Population-based expected deaths were as published by ONS [2]. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and absolute excess risks (AERs), and explored variation in suicide risk by cancer type, age at death, sex, deprivation, ethnicity, and years since cancer diagnosis. Results: 2352 cancer patients died by suicide. This was 0.08% of all deaths. The overall SMR for suicide was 1.19 (95% CI 1.14-1.24) and AER per 10,000 person-years was 0.18 (0.13-0.22). The risk was highest among individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, with a 4.34-fold risk corresponding to 4.00 extra deaths per 10,000 person-years. This was followed by pancreatic (3.94-fold), esophageal (2.53-fold), lung (2.52-fold), and stomach (2.14-fold) cancer (all significantly elevated). Suicide risk was highest in the first 6 months following cancer diagnosis (SMR: 2.64 [2.42-2.89]), but a significantly increased risk persisted for 2 years (SMR: 1.21 [1.08-1.35]). Conclusion: Despite low numbers, the elevated risk of suicide in patients with certain cancers is a concern, representing potentially preventable deaths. The increased risk in the first 6 months after diagnosis, which is consistent with previous studies, highlights unmet needs for psychological support delivered alongside cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our findings suggest a need for improved risk stratification across cancer services, followed by targeted psychological support.

466: Age is an Independent Predictor of Bone Metastasis at Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

2007 ◽  
Vol 177 (4S) ◽  
pp. 156-156
Author(s):  
Andrea Salonia ◽  
Pierre I. Karakiewicz ◽  
Andrea Gallina ◽  
Alberto Briganti ◽  
Tommaso C. Camerata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Bone Metastasis ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Independent Predictor ◽  
Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Suicide Risk Related to Acne Severity, Study Finds

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
JENNIE SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk

Suicide Risk 15 Times Higher for PTSD Patients

2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (21) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
MICHELE G. SULLIVAN
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk
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