People with lung cancer are at greatest risk of committing suicide, says new research presented at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference 2017

In this new study, researchers aimed to explore suicide rates specifically associated with lung cancer compared with the general population, as well as with the three most common non-skin types of cancer: breast, prostate, and colorectal.

The researchers used a large national database called the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute to analyse cancer-associated suicide deaths. SEER provides data on cancer statistics to try to decrease cancer burden among the U.S. population.

Researchers found that suicide rates in people with any cancer were 60 percent higher than the general population. Furthermore, compared with the general population, breast cancer and prostate cancer suicide rates were 20 percent greater. There was also an increased risk of 40 percent among colorectal cancer patients.

Suicide rates among lung cancer patients were 420 percent higher than the general population. Asian patients were identified as having a more than 13-fold rise in suicides, while male patients had an almost nine-fold increase.

Other factors that influenced and elevated suicide risk were being widowed, being older, rejecting surgical treatment for the condition, and having a type of lung cancer that is difficult to treat.

"We wanted to see what the impact of one of life's most stressful events is on patients. I think it's fair to say that most clinicians don't think about suicide risk in cancer patients. This study, I hope, will change that by making us more aware of those at greatest risk of suicide so that this catastrophe in the care of our patients doesn't happen." Mohamed Rahouma (leader of this research)

Read the full article in Medical News Today