Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Gynecologic Cancer
Published on: April 17, 2012
Suicide in women with gynecologic cancer
Haider Mahdi1, Ron E Swensen, Adnan R Munkarah
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. mahdih@uw.edu
Objective(S):
To characterize the suicide rates among patients with gynecologic cancer in the Unites States and to identify factors associated with high suicide rates.
Method(S):
Subjects with a diagnosis of gynecologic cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for the period 1988-2007. Comparison with women in the general US population was based on WHO data 2005, matched for age in 10-year categories. Cox regression models were used to perform multivariate modeling for factors associated with suicide.
Result(S):
Among 252,235 patients followed for 1,207,278 person-years, the suicide rate was 8.3 per 100,000 person-years, with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.7, p<0.001). The highest suicide rates were observed in patients with ovarian cancer and within the first year following diagnosis. Suicide risk was associated with younger age at diagnosis, high grade disease and absence of surgical intervention.
Conclusion(S):
Patients with gynecologic cancer have an increased suicide risk when compared to the general population. Suicide rates vary by cancer site and time since diagnosis. Effective screening and appropriate treatment of psychosocial stress among women with gynecologic cancer are warranted.
Related Concept Videos
Disorders of the Female Reproductive System
Cancer Survival Analysis
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Infertility in Females
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of endometrial...