Significant number of suicide cases may have cancer history

A significant proportion of individuals who die by suicide may have cancer history, according to results of a quantitative study conducted in Hong Kong and published in Psycho-Oncology.

“Despite an association between suicide and cancer, little is known about the characteristics of cancer‐related suicide cases, and whether these differ from noncancer cases,” Vera Y. Men, of the department of social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues wrote. “Research has suggested that cancer patients who killed themselves were typically older and less likely to have mental health problems compared [with] noncancer cases. If this situation is the same in Hong Kong, then current suicide screening and prevention strategies may be ineffective in identifying and managing cancer patients considering suicide.”

The investigators aimed to compare the characteristics of suicide cases with and without cancer, as well as to determine if age was linked to differences in characteristics. They used Coroner’s Court reports to identify 14,446 suicide cases between 2003 and 2017 in Hong Kong, with cases grouped by cancer status according to medical history in the reports. They extracted sociodemographic variables and detailed descriptions of the suicide events from the reports. Further, they compared characteristics between the two groups using univariate analyses and overall and subgroup multiple logistic regressions.

Results showed cancer history among 1,461 (10.11%) of the total suicide cases. Cancer patients tended to be older and less likely to live alone; more likely to use violent methods; less likely to have histories of physical and psychiatric problems; and more likely to communicate about their suicidal intent before death compared with noncancer cases. Men and colleagues noted a significant association between age and differences between cancer and noncancer cases.

“Future research into the motivations behind the suicide act will provide deeper understandings of suicide among cancer patients with the aim of enhancing their wellbeing,” the researchers wrote.