“Just Let Me Go”; When Suicidal Ideation and Goals of Care Collide in
Adolescent Cancer at the End of Life
Abstract
Cancer in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is associated with an
increased risk for suicidal ideation (SI). There are no reported
pediatric oncology cases describing management of SI during end of life.
We present a case of a 14-year-old male with relapsed, high-risk B-cell
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who received a haploidentical stem
cell transplant (HSCT) and was acutely suicidal at the end of life. We
discuss how to navigate acute suicidality in this patient population,
the impact of discordant goals of care amongst family members, and
potential preventative strategies for similar cases.