Marriage Tied to Lower Cancer Risk, But Experts Warn It’s Not a Prevention Method

A recent study has found a possible link between being or having been married and a lower chance of developing cancer. This research adds to a growing list of studies that connect marriage with better health results. However, experts stress that this does not mean people must get married to protect their health.

Marriage is changing in modern society. In fact, recent data shows that marriage rates in the United States are dropping. A new study published in the journal *Cancer Research Communications* suggests that people who are or have been married may have a lower risk of cancer. This means many people could be missing out on health benefits linked to marriage. Still, some experts warn that society’s view of marriage as “better” than being single may twist the data.

“People start from the assumption ‘Marriage: good. No marriage: bad’ and interpret things in ways that do not make sense in terms of actual data,” said Joan DelFattore, PhD, professor emerita of English and legal studies at the University of Delaware. She has written about cancer and marital status and was not involved in the study. She told CNN that this bias, which is built into medical training and research, often leads to conclusions that are “over-simplified.”

The study found that people who had an “ever-married” status—meaning they were married, separated, divorced, or widowed—had lower rates of cancer than those who had never been married. “This demonstrates that marriage confers not only known social benefits but also downstream physiological benefits, highlighting the unity between mind and body, and between social, mental, and physical health,” said Deborah Vinall, PsyD, LMFT, and Chief Psychological Officer with Recovered. She was not involved in the study. “Loneliness is known to be fatal. This study makes that finding more concrete,” Vinall said.

The study looked at data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. It focused on adults aged 30 and older in 12 states. Among men who had never been married, cancer rates were 68% higher than those in the ever-married group. For women who had never been married, the rate was 85% higher than those in the ever-married group.

“With how heterogeneous both cancer and individual behaviors can be, this is a nuanced question but to generalize broadly, being married is known to decrease exposure to many of the risk factors associated with various malignancies,” said Ketan Thanki, MD, a board certified colorectal surgeon with the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. He was not involved in the study.

The research team says these findings likely have multiple causes. For example, some cancers, such as ovarian and endometrial cancers, may be linked to reproductive factors. People who have never given birth may be at higher risk for these cancers. The study also found that the link between marriage and cancer risk grew stronger in older participants. This may mean the effects of marriage build up over time.

It is also possible that these results are partly due to the social support and healthcare advantages that marriage can offer. The researchers suggest that married people may be less likely to take part in risky behaviors. They point to data showing marriage was strongly linked to lower rates of lung and cervical cancer. Both of these cancers are tied to behaviors like smoking, sexual activity, and drinking alcohol.

“Married people get screened more,” Thanki said. “This is especially true for men who are 20% more likely to get colonoscopies, for example, if married … Having a partner to help us manage and afford our lifestyle and food choices and remind us to get our health maintenance checkups seems to help prevent cancer.”

Vinall agreed. “Marriage partners are invested in each other’s long-term health and wellness. They may be more likely to encourage one another to engage in health-maintaining efforts such as eating well, exercising, and attending regular doctor’s visits, which can catch problems at a pre-cancerous stage.” She noted that while other surveys have found marriage benefits men’s mental health more than women’s, the cancer risk reduction in this study applies to both genders.

Some research suggests that single people going through cancer care may have worse outcomes than those who are married. However, experts like DelFattore argue that this may be partly due to stereotypes held by doctors. More research is needed, and the study authors stress that it should focus on how to better support unmarried people. The findings also give doctors a chance to counsel patients who lack a support system at home. Unmarried people should be encouraged to build a strong support network.

“Social support really is the key factor, whether in a partner, friends, or family,” Thanki said. “Taking that support out of the same home probably diminishes the effect slightly but still, having family and friends who encourage or inspire healthful behaviors, remind you to get your screening, and share meals and activities with you will not only keep you in a healthier and happier mental space but help keep you on top of the physical aspects of health that reduce cancer risk.”

Vinall added that it is important to remember “marriage decreases the odds of cancer but does not prevent it. If you are in a happy marriage and cancer still occurs, it is not an indictment of your marriage, love, or care for your spouse.”