Are We Missing Out on Something?

Suicide risk is very high in the patients suffering from advanced cancer. Around 60% of patients with advanced cancer suffer from cancer related pain and this further accentuates the risk of psychiatric disorders as well as suicide. A fifty year old male who was a known case of carcinoma of floor of mouth, post chemotherapy and post radiotherapy came in the outpatient clinic with complains of throat pain which increased on swallowing. On further probing, it was revealed, that he consumed poison in the recent past while being agitated and upset with the severe throat pain. The recent radiotherapy had only made the pain worse. Cancer pain is an important symptom which should be adequately addressed while reviewing patients in the palliative care / oncologist clinic.