Patients diagnosed with oral cancer experience substantial psychological distress with more than 1 in 10 reporting having suicidal thoughts and a small number reportedly attempting suicide. The systematic review was published on January 26 in BMC Oral Health.
Risk factors for suicide attempts and ideation in these patients include depression and dysphoria, the authors wrote.
"This review revealed a substantial psychological impact faced by oral cancer patients, with notable prevalence rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts," wrote the authors, led by Abhay Gaidhane of the Global Health Academy in India.
Considerable psychological distress is linked to an oral cancer diagnosis. This stress increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts on a person's life; however, their associated risk factors remain unclear, according to the review.
To quantify the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among those with oral cancer and to identify key risk factors, 13 studies from Taiwan, South Korea, Canada, Germany, and the U.S. involving 899,765 participants were included in this systematic review.
The prevalence of suicidal ideation was slightly more than 13% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.41-22.03) with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 65%), while the prevalence of suicidal attempts was 0.32% (95% CI, 0.1-0.7) with high heterogeneity (I² = 99%), the authors wrote.
The lower prevalence of suicide attempts compared to suicidal thoughts was unexpected but aligned with broader cancer research. This finding may suggest that factors, including social support systems and prompt mental healthcare, may offer some protection to these patients, the authors wrote.
In terms of risk factors, the primary ones were depression (odds ratio [OR] = 42.83), dysphoria (OR = 8.06), and prior cancer history (OR = 4.53), they wrote.
However, the study had limitations. Due to limited data availability, an analysis for certain risk factors couldn't be completed, the authors wrote. Therefore, improving patient outcomes requires early identification and tailored interventions, they wrote.
"Recognizing the high prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among oral cancer patients, it becomes imperative to implement comprehensive screening protocols for psychological distress early in the cancer care pathway," Gaidhane and colleagues wrote.
