Survivors of childhood cancer have increased risks of experiencing various challenges, such as emotional distress, and financial burdens, according to a new study. Findings of a research, which were published in ‘CANCER’, has indicated that many long-term survivors of childhood cancer may also face an elevated risk of suicide, although their absolute risk is still low.
The relatively limited data on suicide in survivors of childhood cancer have been inconsistent, though they have generally suggested that suicide rates in these individuals are low. The team identified 49,836 childhood cancer survivors and 79 suicides, and there was approximately 1 suicide per 10,000 people per year. This rate was similar to the rate seen in the general US population.
Justin Barnes, MD, MS, of Washington University said, “Our findings raise crucial questions about what can be done to prevent suicide in vulnerable long-term adult survivors of childhood cancer. Such strategies may include improving efforts to screen for distress and better-employing survivorship care with a multidisciplinary team.”
Dr Barnes noted that additional research is needed to study the underlying reasons and risk factors for suicides in these individuals. He said, “These might include a history of depression, psychiatric comorbidities, persistent pain, socioeconomic stressors, and cancer treatment specifics, all of which we were unable to evaluate in our study,”
