�Cancer patients are trey times more than likely to think they would be "better off dead" or to contemplate suicide than the rest of the population - a Cancer Research UK study reports online today.*
Patients were almost likely to have these thoughts if they had substantial nuisance and particularly if they had life-threatening emotional distress.
The study highlights the need for more support services to be uncommitted for cancer patients and that this is particularly important in the area of pain management.
Almost 3,000 outpatients took part in the report at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre.
The patients, wHO had a range of cancers, answered a computerised questionnaire around their physical and emotional symptoms.
Among the questions, patients were asked: "Over the last two weeks how much have you been bothered by the following job: thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way?" Patients could answer: "not at all," "several days," "more than than half the years" or "most every sidereal day."
Of the 2,924 patients world Health Organization took piece, nearly 8 per centime said they had thoughts of beingness better off dead or of pain themselves. This compares with a figure of hardly 2.6 per centime in a similar survey of the general population conducted in Australia.
Lead author Jane Walker, based at the Edinburgh University, said: "It is torment that, despite improvements in cancer attention, a square number of patients feel they would be better off dead.
"We know that depressive disorder is vulgar in patients who get cancer only it is often lost. Pain is also a big problem. Treating patients' symptoms as well as their disease might amend, and even save, their lives."
Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer information, aforementioned: "It is normal to experience distraint after a cancer diagnosing. But for some patients emotional distress or depression becomes a problem in itself and may lead to suicidal thoughts. Cancer specialists and GPs can buoy provide treatment, with the help of psychiatrists if necessary."
*Journal of Clinical Oncology
About Cancer Research UK
- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
- Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to better understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.
- Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are secondhand to meliorate the lives of all cancer patients.
- Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the advance that is being made and the choices each person can make.
- Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest wallop in the global fight against cancer.
Cancer Research UK
More info
