Breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of suicide for up to 30 years after diagnosis, according to a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Catherine Schairer, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues examined the suicide risk for 723,810 breast cancer survivors diagnosed between 1953 and 2001, as reported in numerous cancer registries. They identified 836 breast cancer patients who committed suicide, including 245 women in the U.S.

They found that the cumulative risk of suicide 30 years after breast cancer diagnosis was 0.2%. This rate is 37% higher than expected based on general population rates. Risk increased with a higher stage of breast cancer.

SOURCE:
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, October 4, 2006