Many Internet users confirm this theory
Marriage can save you from cancer – experts spoke about this in a conversation with the Daily Mail. This week, an unregistered 2013 study began circulating online, showing that married patients are 33% less likely to die from cancer than unmarried patients. This assumption is finding more and more confirmation.
A team of participants in an online study found that marriage reduces the risk of death by 20%. This figure even surpassed the recovery rate after chemotherapy for five types of cancer, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.
Sociologist Brad Wilcox, who studies marriage and family at the University of Virginia, shared an excerpt from the study on Platform X, calling it “astounding.” South Carolina oncologist Daniel Landau told the Daily Mail: “We're seeing trends in for many types of cancer, which suggests that those who are married or have long-term partners tend to fare better than those who try to fight the disease alone.”
The study referenced by Dr. Wilcox, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, looked at. The study included 734,889 patients diagnosed with one of the 10 deadliest cancers at that time (between 2004 and 2008): lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, head cancer /neck, ovary and esophagus.
At that time, each of these cancers caused at least 15 thousand deaths per year.
The average age of unmarried participants was 66 years, and the age of married — 63 years.
Researchers found that married patients were 53% more likely to have surgery and 56% more likely to receive radiation therapy.
Married patients were at risk of dying from cancer decreased by 12–33%, depending on the form of the disease.
“We found that unmarried patients, including widows, are at significantly greater risk of developing metastatic cancer, undertreatment, and cancer-related death than married patients. The association between marital status and each of these outcomes was significant for each malignancy assessed,” — write the researchers.
Additionally, according to the study, marriage was 5% to 20% more effective in improving cancer survival rates than chemotherapy for five types of cancer. The team noted that this phenomenon may be due to partners offering emotional support, which reduces the likelihood that patients will suffer from depression, anxiety and stress.
Stress leads to inflammation in the body, which, thought to promote the formation, growth and spread of cancer. Married patients can also eat better and take better care of their bodies, such as by maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
“Clinicians should consider screening for depression in unmarried patients with cancer and referring patients to mental health specialists if symptoms are identified,” the authors wrote.
The researchers also pointed to other studies suggesting that marriage has physical health benefits, too, including stronger cardiovascular, hormonal, and immune systems. Newer studies have found similar results. For example, a review published last year in the journal Cancer Medicine examined 67 studies from 1987 to 2022.
Single status was found to be “associated with significantly worse overall and cancer survival.” Divorced men are identified as the most vulnerable group.
Chinese researchers found in 2022 that 72% of married men and women were likely to be alive five years after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. Meanwhile, for widows this figure fell to 60%.
They also suggested that this was due to “emotional support” from their partner. The experts added that patients' marital status should be considered as a risk factor for cancer, calling for more support for single or separated couples.
Dr Landau said the improved outcomes in married patients could be due to several reasons. One is that patients tend to downplay their symptoms, which can lead to them receiving ineffective or insufficient treatment.
According to him, the partner of a sick patient will be able to tell the doctor exactly how his loved one is feeling, without embellishing the problem: “Having a partner who helps monitor the patient for side effects of therapy and reliably communicate to the doctor what is happening is of great importance for long-term results. Sometimes we as oncologists are hesitant to offer treatments with a higher side effect profile to people who do not have partners because of fear of what might happen to the patient if they do not have reliable support.
< p>He also noted that cancer is “a very isolating experience” due to patients missing work, social events, and spending time with friends.
Having a support system such as a spouse makes patients more likely to attend all appointments because they have someone to -someone who will drive them around and help them manage their schedule.
Several Internet users responded to Dr. Wilcox's post about the study, agreeing with this opinion.
One user shared this story : “When I had cancer in 1997, my wife was instrumental in figuring out what hoops I had to jump through to get the latest treatment and motivated me to do so.”
Another wrote: “My grandmother saved my grandfather more than once by insisting he go to the doctor when he wouldn’t have otherwise.”
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