Citation

Ravaioli A, Bucchi L. Recenti. Prog. Med. 2018; 109(6): 322-323.

Vernacular Title

Cancro e rischio di suicidio: follow-up e multidisciplinarietà possono offrire opportunità preventive.

Affiliation

Registro Tumori della Romagna, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Forlì.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Pensiero Scientifico Editore)

DOI

10.1701/2932.29485

PMID

29968859

Abstract

Suicide rate is two-fold higher among cancer patients than in the general population. General and cancer-related risk factors for suicide are easily identified by caregivers interacting with patients, but with the exception of depression - the strongest one. This hampers the feasibility of screening of patients by the treating personnel. While new treatments tend to make cancer a chronic disease, which exposes patients to prolonged periods of uncertainty about recurrences, two recent advances have improved the possibility to prevent suicide. On the one hand, the emerging concept of cancer survivorship care has placed the identification of long-term consequences of cancer and its treatments, including an increased risk for suicide, among the objectives of patient follow-up. On the other hand, models of multidisciplinary team care have been implemented in several areas of cancer management. Although the psycho-oncologist has a complementary role, a clear definition of its relationship with the multidisciplinary teams facilitates the adoption of screening programmes for the detection of conditions of increased risk for suicide in cancer care facilities.

Language: it