Epidemiological studies demonstrate that cancer patients are at increased risk of suicide. While affective illness and alcoholism are the most important determinants of suicide in the physically healthy population, vulnerability to suicide in cancer patients is influenced by a number of other factors including psychosocial and psychosomatic effects of advanced illness, pain, organic mental syndromes and preexisting psychopathology. Ways of influencing these risk factors are discussed, together with their use in preventive care and management of suicidal cancer patients.
