Suicide after cancer diagnosis in South Korea: a population-based cohort study

Trends in cancer-related suicide in the United States: a population-based epidemiology study spanning 40 years of data

Large cohort studies examining trends in cancer-related suicide are lacking. We analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, encompassing a total of 4,870,410 patients diagnosed with cancer from 1975 to 2017 in the United States. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) of age-adjusted rates of suicide. In the past 40 years, we revealed a gradual increase in cancer-related suicide rates from 1975 to 1989, followed by a gradual decrease from 1989 to 2013, and a marked decrease from 2013 to 2017. These trends suggested the potential impact of advancements in psychosocial care for patients with cancer in contributing to the observed decrease in suicide rates.

To what extent are psychological variables considered in the study of risk and protective factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviours in individuals with cancer? A systematic review of 70 years of research

Psychological variables substantially shape the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs). However, it is unclear to what extent they are considered in individuals with cancer. We synthesized the quantitative research landscape concerning psychological risk/protective factors of STBs in the (psycho-) oncological context. This pre-registered review (PROSPERO-ID CRD42022331484) systematically searched the databases PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (as well as the grey literature and preprints). Risk of bias (RoB) was estimated using the ROBINS-I tool. Of 11,159 retrieved records, 319 studies were eligible for inclusion. Of those, 163 (51.1%) had investigated psychological factors (affective: n = 155; social: n = 65; cognitive: n = 63; personality/individual differences: n = 37; life events: n = 6), in a combined 3,561,741 participants. The most common STBs were suicidal ideation (n = 107) or death wishes (n = 20) rather than behaviour (suicide deaths: n = 26; attempts: n = 14). Most studies had a serious RoB. Thus, a large body of research investigated STBs in cancer patients/survivors, but it rarely aligned with the theoretical or clinical developments in suicide research. We propose a conceptual model of STBs in cancer delineating moderation and mediation effects to advance the integration of the fields, and to inform future research and practice.

Risk factor analysis and nomogram construction for predicting suicidal ideation in patients with cancer

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation in cancer patients is a critical challenge. At present, few studies focus on factors associated with suicidal ideation, and predictive models are still lacking. This study aimed at investigating the risk factors for suicidal ideation among cancer patients, and developed a predictive nomogram to screen high risk cancer patients for early prevention and intervention.

METHODS

A questionnaire survey was conducted among cancer patients between May 2021 and January 2022. The factors associated with suicidal ideation were used to construct a multivariate logistic regression model, which was visualized as a predictive nomogram to evaluate the risk of suicidal ideation. Areas under the curve, calibration plot, decision curve analysis, and internal and external validation were used to validate the discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of the model.

RESULTS

A total of 820 patients with cancer were recruited for this study and 213 (25.98%) developed suicidal ideation. Levels of demoralization, depression and cancer staging, marital status, residence, medical financial burden, and living condition were influence factors for suicidal ideation. Comparing nomogram with Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale (SIOSS), the nomogram had a satisfactory discrimination ability with an AUC of 0.859 (95% CI: 0.827-0.890) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.764-0.873) in the training and validation sets, respectively. The calibration plot and decision curve analysis revealed that this nomogram was in good fitness and could be beneficial in clinical applications.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicidal ideation is common in cancer patients. Levels of demoralization, depression and cancer staging were independent predictors of suicidal ideation. The nomogram is an effective and simple tool for predictive suicidal ideation in cancer patients.

Cumulative burden of psychiatric disorders and self-harm across 26 adult cancers

Cancer is a life-altering event causing considerable psychological distress. However, information on the total burden of psychiatric disorders across all common adult cancers and therapy exposures has remained scarce. Here, we estimated the risk of self-harm after incident psychiatric disorder diagnosis in patients with cancer and the risk of unnatural deaths after self-harm in 459,542 individuals. Depression was the most common psychiatric disorder in patients with cancer. Patients who received chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery had the highest cumulative burden of psychiatric disorders. Patients treated with alkylating agent chemotherapeutics had the highest burden of psychiatric disorders, whereas those treated with kinase inhibitors had the lowest burden. All mental illnesses were associated with an increased risk of subsequent self-harm, where the highest risk was observed within 12 months of the mental illness diagnosis. Patients who harmed themselves were 6.8 times more likely to die of unnatural causes of death compared with controls within 12 months of self-harm (hazard ratio (HR), 6.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.3-10.7). The risk of unnatural death after 12 months was markedly lower (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5-2.7). We provide an extensive knowledge base to help inform collaborative cancer-psychiatric care initiatives by prioritizing patients who are most at risk.