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Cited by 329Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesCancer survivorship and careGlobal Cancer Incidence and Screening

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Suicide among cancer patients

Open access
Zaorsky, Nicholas G., Zhang, Ying, Tuanquin, Leonard, Bluethmann, Shirley M., Park, Henry S., Chinchilli, Vernon M.·2019·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-08170-1PMC PMC6331593
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Abstract

Our purpose is to identify cancer patients at highest risk of suicide compared to the general population and other cancer patients. This is a retrospective, population-based study using nationally representative data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, 1973-2014. Among 8,651,569 cancer patients, 13,311 committed suicide; the rate of suicide was 28.58/ 100,000-person years, and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of suicide was 4.44 (95% CI, 4.33, 4.55). The predominant patients who committed suicide were male (83%) and white (92%). Cancers of the lung, head and neck, testes, bladder, and Hodgkin lymphoma had the highest SMRs ( > 5-10) through the follow up period. Elderly, white, unmarried males with localized disease are at highest risk vs other cancer patients. Among those diagnosed at < 50 years of age, the plurality of suicides is from hematologic and testicular tumors; if > 50, from prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer patients.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41467-018-08170-1

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Fig. 1 Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of suicide among cancer patients by subsite. The y-axis depicts the SMR with 95% CI, and the x-axis depicts the disease site. Different time periods after diagnosis (<1 year vs 1–5 years vs >5 years) are shown in different colors. Certain cancer patients have relatively high SMR from suicide in the first year after diagnosis (e.g. lung, with SMR of 25; or Hodgkin lymphoma, with SMR of 26). For most cancers, the SMR of suicide subsides with longer follow-up time. In contrast, for certain cancers, the SMR of suicide remains elevated (e.g. Hodgkin lymphoma) or increases (e.g. testicular)
Fig. 1 Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of suicide among cancer patients by subsite. The y-axis depicts the SMR with 95% CI, and the x-axis depicts the disease site. Different time periods after diagnosis (<1 year vs 1–5 years vs >5 years) are shown in different colors. Certain cancer patients have relatively high SMR from suicide in the first year after diagnosis (e.g. lung, with SMR of 25; or Hodgkin lymphoma, with SMR of 26). For most cancers, the SMR of suicide subsides with longer follow-up time. In contrast, for certain cancers, the SMR of suicide remains elevated (e.g. Hodgkin lymphoma) or increases (e.g. testicular)CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 2 Suicide among cancer patients as a function of age group. a The y-axis depicts the absolute number of suicides and the x-axis depicts the age group at time of diagnosis. The colors depict the disease sites. The majority of suicides are in patients diagnosed at an older age (i.e. 50–80-year-olds), and the plurality of suicides s occurs in patients diagnosed with prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer. b The y-axis depicts the relative number of suicides compared to all cancer patients, and the x-axis depicts the age group at time of diagnosis. The colors depict the disease sites. For younger patients (i.e. <50), the plurality of suicides is seen in lymphoma patients. In contrast, among older adults (i.e. >50) the plurality of suicides occurs in patients with cancer of the prostate, lung, colorectum, and bladder
Fig. 2 Suicide among cancer patients as a function of age group. a The y-axis depicts the absolute number of suicides and the x-axis depicts the age group at time of diagnosis. The colors depict the disease sites. The majority of suicides are in patients diagnosed at an older age (i.e. 50–80-year-olds), and the plurality of suicides s occurs in patients diagnosed with prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer. b The y-axis depicts the relative number of suicides compared to all cancer patients, and the x-axis depicts the age group at time of diagnosis. The colors depict the disease sites. For younger patients (i.e. <50), the plurality of suicides is seen in lymphoma patients. In contrast, among older adults (i.e. >50) the plurality of suicides occurs in patients with cancer of the prostate, lung, colorectum, and bladderCC BY · PubMed Central

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Metadata

Authors
Zaorsky, N. G., Zhang, Y., Tuanquin, L., Bluethmann, S. M., Park, H. S., & Chinchilli, V. M.
Affiliations
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • Penn State Cancer Institute (US)
  • Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Zaorsky, Nicholas G.
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-01-14
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
207-207
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-018-08170-1
PMC
PMC6331593
OpenAlex
W2910242363
Cited by
329
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 51 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 12
FWCI
51.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2020-01-31)
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
Keywords
suicide, cancer patients, suicide risk factors, standardized mortality ratio, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, testicular cancer, Hodgkin's disease, hematologic malignancies, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, age at diagnosis, marital status, sex differences
MeSH terms
Survivorship, Suicide Prevention, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mortality, Neoplasms, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Suicide, SEER Program, Risk Assessment

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