Married people more likely to beat cancer, study claims

In one of the largest studies of its kind, a Harvard-led research team have discovered that being married improves a person's chance of receiving an early cancer diagnosis, as well as their chance of survival.

In fact, U.S. cancer patients who were married were 20 per cent less likely to die from cancer than patients who were single, widowed or divorced.

"We were really surprised by the results, how profound a difference it was," says senior author, Dr. Ayal Aizer, chief resident of Harvard University's radiation oncology program.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, looked at more than 730,000 people who were diagnosed with any one of 10 different cancers between 2004 and 2008. The researchers controlled for demographic factors that could have influenced the results, including age, sex, race, residence type, education and median household income. Some of the cancers included in the study were lung, breast, pancreatic, prostate and ovarian.

Also see: Can marriage boost your heart health?

While the authors are unsure why married life results in better cancer outcomes, they speculate that spouses ensure their partners attend medical appointments, take medication, follow-up on treatments, and also provide emotional support that can have physiological effects on the body.

“This is a positive message that shows how much of a difference social support can make,” Dr. Paul Nguyen, a radiation oncologist at Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital, tells ABC. “Something as simple as just being there for someone, going with them to their appointments, can be a powerful intervention.”

In some cases, the benefit associated with marriage was bigger than the benefit seen from chemotherapy.

This is not the first study to suggest a “survival benefit” for married cancer patients, but it is the first to confirm that this benefit exists for each of the 10 leading causes of cancer death, reports ABC.

Also see: Can sugar help detect cancer?

“The fundamental message is that we’re social creatures,” says Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, who was not involved in the study. “We do better when we have pure and stable and supported relationships. And we do better not just psychologically and socially, but physically.”

Dr. Spiegel past research has found that partnership (e.g. marriage) can change stress hormones, markers of immune function, and even sleep quality.

What are your thoughts on the findings of this study? Have you noticed a connection in your life between marriage and health? Tell us in the comments below.