The association between suicide and cancer is complex. Hopelessness and depression are the common risk factors for both suicide and cancer. There is also evidence that suicide rate in cancer patients are higher than in the general population. However, the real occurrence of suicide in cancer patients is considered to be underreported. This is a good reason to expect a positive relationship between cancer mortality and suicide rates at the population level.

The present study aims to test the hypothesis of the close aggregate level link between cancer mortality and the suicide rates in Russia.

Trends in sex-specific cancer mortality and the suicide rates from 1956 to 2010 were analyzed employing a distributed lags analysis.

The results of analysis indicate the presence of a statistically significant association between trends in suicides and cancer of the upper digestive tract (mouth, oral cavity and pharynx), larynx, bronchus and lungs, stomach, colorectal, uretus and leukemia for male. There is also a statistically significant association between trends in suicides and cancer of the upper digestive tract (mouth, oral cavity and pharynx), larynx, bronchus and lungs, stomach, colorectal, uretus, breast, cervix, uterus and leukemia for female.

Common confounding variables, including binge drinking and psychosocial distress, may explain positive aggregate-level association between the cancer mortality and suicides time series in Russia.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.