In the Basic Plan to Promote Cancer Control Programs in Japan, suicide prevention is identified as one of the key issues, with head and neck cancer patients known to be at particularly high risk.However, in Japan, the actual situation, the perceptions of healthcare professionals, and the current status of preventive measures have not been sufficiently clarified, highlighting the need for a nationwide survey.Accordingly, a national study on suicide-related behaviors among head and neck cancer patients was conducted.In the survey targeting healthcare professionals, more than half of specialists had encountered suicide-related behaviors, whereas preventive measures were implemented in less than 40 of cases.In the case-based survey, suicide-related behaviors were observed not only immediately after diagnosis but also during long-term follow-up without recurrence, and the diverse background factors were difficult to classify within existing frameworks.These findings suggest the importance of establishing comprehensive multidisciplinary support systems and enhancing healthcare pro-fessionals education.They further indicate the need to develop assessment frameworks and suicide prevention programs that consider the long-term course of patients.This review summarizes the outcomes of the national research project supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, focusing on healthcare professionals experiences, institutional practices, and the clinical characteristics of cases exhibiting suicide-related behaviors.
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