Individuals with cancer are at increased risk for suicide, and suicidal ideation can persist for years after diagnosis.
An evaluation of nearly 300,000 veterans with cancer showed approximately 1% attempted suicide, with several subgroups having increased rates, including younger and unmarried veterans, those with central nervous system and thyroid malignancies, and those with increased frailty.
And though 1% may seem like a “small number,” the fact that most suicide attempts do not result in death indicates suicide rates among people with cancer in the general population likely underestimate