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Late-Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations

Head and Neck Surgery

Session: Late-Breaking Scientific Orals: Head and Neck Surgery

Examining Suicide Risk Among the Head and Neck Cancer Patient Population

Sunday, September 29, 2024
4:30 PM – 4:36 PM EDT
Location: MBCC, 222
Disclosure(s):
Sami I. Nassar, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

W. Greer G. Albergotti, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: There is a high burden for suicide among the head and neck cancer (HNC) patient population. To date, there have been no systematic analyses of suicide rates and relative risk among the HNC patient population compared to the general and non-HNC cancer patient populations.

Methods: Cochrane, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus databases were systematically searched from inception through June 3, 2024 to identify English-language articles examining suicide rates among cancer patients. A published multinational systematic review and meta-analysis of suicide prevalence among the general population was used as a comparator group. Meta-analyses were performed using random and fixed effect models on proportions (%) and risk ratio (RR).

Results: Meta-analysis of 20 studies including 1,738,093 HNC patients (65.7% male, 61.4% aged 60 or older) reported 5,896 cases of suicide (0.36%, 95% CI 0.279 – 0.451). Male HNC patients had a greater risk of suicide than female HNC patients (RR 3.161, 95% CI 1.504 – 6.642), and HNC patients had a greater risk of suicide than non-HNC cancer patients (RR 2.369, 95% CI 2.166 – 2.591). There was a greater proportion of suicides in the HNC patient population compared to the general population (Difference 0.3258830%, 95% CI 0.317348% – 0.3346375%). No significant difference was found in risk of suicide between HNC patients aged 60 or older and HNC patients aged under 60 (RR 1.543, 95% CI 0.93 – 2.562).

Conclusions: There is an increased suicide risk and proportion of suicide cases among HNC patients compared to the non-HNC cancer patient population and general population, respectively. Among HNC patients, male patients are at a greater risk of suicide than female patients. Further research on identifying risk factors for and potential interventions to address suicide in the HNC patient population is warranted.

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Sami I. Nassar, MD

    Clinical Research Fellow
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, SC, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Sami I. Nassar, MD

    Clinical Research Fellow
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, SC, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • RD

    Ryan A. Durgham, MPH

    Clinical Research Fellow
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, SC, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Senior Author(s)

  • SN

    Shaun A. Nguyen, MD

    Clinical Research Director
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, South Carolina, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • JN

    Jason G. Newman, MD

    Professor
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Mount Pleasant, SC, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • Alexandra E. Kejner, MD

    Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology/Microvascular Reconstruction
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, SC, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

  • WA

    W. Greer Albergotti, MD

    Associate Professor
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
    Charleston, South Carolina, United States

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.