Suicide rates are significantly higher among individuals who undergo cancer surgery, with half of all suicides occurring within the first three years following the procedure.
Cancer may have catastrophic effects on the patient’s physical and mental health, causing them to experience anxiety, fear, or despair. Following surgical treatment, an estimated 6 to 38 percent of cancer patients suffer significant depression symptoms.
There is a paucity of studies on the risk of suicide among these patients, so scientists affiliated with Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) decided to explore. Using data from 1,811,397 patients who underwent surgery for the 15 deadliest cancers, they determined that between 2000 and 2016, 1,494 (0.08%) cancer patients committed suicide.
Compared to the general population, the rate is significantly higher among individuals who have undergone surgery for the following 10 types of cancer: larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, lung, stomach, ovary, brain, colon, and rectus.
According to a stud, individuals who are male, Caucasian, divorced, and unmarried have the highest chance of committing suicide. In addition, 21% and 50% of suicides occurred within the first year and first three years, respectively, after surgical therapy. This is the time frame during which many cancer patients receive routine follow-up care.
According to the study’s senior author, Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, a thoracic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, “there is an opportunity to potentially develop and implement programs to regularly screen patients for distress and ensure that patients have access to the appropriate support and treatment if needed”. According to Yang, screening for psychosocial distress is advised for all cancer patients, regardless of their treatment.
