Suicide Prevention in Mesothelioma

Suicide Prevention in Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Cancer patients who receive surgery have a higher risk of suicide up to three years after their treatment. Researchers from Massachusetts and California looked at data from 1,811,397 patients between 2000 and 2016. Patients who receive cancer surgery should be closely monitored for psychological distress. Social support from family, friends, and peers can help, too. Psychological Effects of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops in the lining of internal organs like the lungs. The current treatment options can be invasive and may not be effective. It can be a lonely disease for caregivers and patients. Only about 2,500 Americans receive a mesothelioma diagnosis each year making it one of the rarest types of cancer. In many cases,…

New Tool Measures Stress Levels Among Mesothelioma Caregivers
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New Tool Measures Stress Levels Among Mesothelioma Caregivers

ByAlex Strauss

Preliminary tests of a new tool designed to measure stress levels among mesothelioma caregivers shows that the tool is both reliable and helpful.  The tool was developed by occupational medicine researchers in Rome. Their goal was to create a “short, flexible, and comprehensive tool” to detect psychological distress in carers.  The team recently tested the tool in a group of mesothelioma caregivers. Their results have just been published in the journal Psycho-Oncology.  The Strain of Caring for a Loved One with Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a highly lethal type of membrane cancer. Most mesothelioma patients lived or worked around asbestos.  Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma. It affects about 2,000 people in the US every year. Another…

Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk
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Depression After Mesothelioma Diagnosis: Women Are at Highest Risk

ByAlex Strauss

White women are more likely than other patients to experience depression after mesothelioma diagnosis.  That word comes from researchers at the University of Florida. The team analyzed the cases of more than 120,000 patients with late-stage cancer.  Although all patients face a risk of depression with an advanced cancer diagnosis, the problem appears to be worse among white women.  The research team says understanding how cancer news affects patients can help doctors avoid diagnosis bias.   Cancer Records from the SEER Database The Florida study provides important insights into who is likely to get depression after mesothelioma diagnosis.  The study included 123,066 advanced cancer cases from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. All study subjects received their diagnosis between…