Cancer Diagnosis May Raise Other Risks

Men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer may be more likely to have a heart attack or commit suicide, a new study finds. Researchers looked at U.S. data on 340,000 men. They were diagnosed between 1979 and 2004. Overall, they were 40% more likely to commit suicide in the year after diagnosis than the average American man. The heart attack rate was 9% higher than average in the year after diagnosis. Both risks were even higher one to three months after diagnosis. But the increased risk of suicide was higher only in the period before 1993. Since then, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been widely used. The test suggests which men may need a prostate biopsy for possible cancer. This has led to more early diagnosis and treatment. The risk of heart attack has stayed the same since PSA testing. The study was in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.