Men with high-risk prostate cancer have higher rates of depression, suicide
A long-term study of more of 180,189 men diagnosed with either localized or high-risk prostate cancer, found that men with high-risk cancer had a 1.8-fold increase risk of developing major depression. In addition, these same men had a 2.4-fold risk for suicide when compared to the general public. This information was published in European Urology with the details which came from the 1998-2017 National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden.
Men with high-risk prostate cancer have higher rates of depression and suicide
This news is not surprising as a diagnosis of prostate cancer for men can be devastating. Simply put, the health of a man’s prostate does influence the state of his mental health. Past studies have also found that having prostate cancer comes with a heavy price of depression for approximately 15%-18% of these men having clinical depression. The suicide rate of men with this disease is about one in seven, according to ZeroProstateCancer. One of the findings from this study was that the risk of men who had high-risk prostate cancer had a 45% greater risk of being diagnosed with major depression than men without high-risk prostate cancer in the general public.
Other findings from this study
The risk of depression associated with prostate cancer is concerning. The study found that men being treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) had the highest risk for depression with a 2.0-fold elevated risk then the general public. It was also noted than older men past the age of 65 suffered with higher rates of depression than younger men with prostate cancer and for men older than 75 years, it was even higher.
Take away from this study
It is crucial to continuously screen men of all ages with high-risk prostate cancer for psychosocial upsets and depression. This study has highlighted the importance of doing so. Men with a low level of education and inadequate social support system are at a higher risk of being depressed.
When a man is screened and diagnosed with depression, it is essential to refer him to psychiatric treatment immediately, and closely monitor his mental health. This approach can help prevent the situation from escalating and ensure he receives the support he needs.
Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.