Marriage may be more likely to save you from cancer than CHEMO, according to doctors

Getting married could save your life from cancer, experts have told DailyMail.com.

This week, an unreported 2013 study began circulating on social media, finding that married patients were up to 33 percent less likely to die of cancer than unmarried patients. 

Interestingly, the team found that being married reduced the risk of death by up to 20 percent more than chemotherapy in five types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, and prostate tumors. 

Brad Wilcox, a sociologist who studies marriage and family at the University of Virginia, shared an excerpt of the study on X, calling the research 'astonishing.' 

Dr Daniel Landau, an oncologist in South Carolina contributor for the Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, told DailyMail.com: 'We have seen trends across multiple cancers that suggest those who are married or have long term partners tend to fare better than those who try to brave this disease alone.'

The study's resurgence comes as a record number of 2million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, including an explosion of cases in young people.  

The study that Dr Wilcox referenced, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, aimed to look at the effect of marriage on when a patient's cancer was diagnosed, if they received effective treatment, and mortality rates.

The research involved 734,889 patients diagnosed with one of the 10 deadliest cancers at the time from 2004 to 2008: lung, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, prostate, liver, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, head/neck, ovarian, and esophageal. 

Each of these cancers resulted in at least 15,000 deaths per year at the time. 

Married patients were roughly 2.5 years younger than unmarried patients and were more likely to be white males. 

The average age of unmarried participants was 66, while the married age was 63. Roughly 75 percent of the married group was white compared to 69 percent in the unmarried group.

They were also more likely to live in rural areas and have higher income and education levels.

The researchers found that married patients were 53 percent more likely to have surgery and up to 56 percent more likely to have radiation treatment. 

And married patients had between a 12 to 33 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer, depending on their form of the disease. Head and neck cancers had the most slashed risk at 33 percent. 

'We found that unmarried patients, including those who are widowed, are at significantly greater risk of presentation with metastatic cancer, undertreatment, and death resulting from their cancer than patients who are married,' the researchers wrote. 

'The association between marital status and each of these outcomes was significant for every malignancy evaluated.'

Additionally, marriage was between five and 20 percent more effective in improving cancer survival rates than chemotherapy in five cancers, including breast, prostate, colorectal, esophageal, and head/neck. 

The team noted that this phenomenon could be due to partners offering emotional support, making patients less likely to suffer depression, anxiety, and distress.

Stress leads to inflammation in the body which is thought to help cancers form, grow and spread. 

Married patients might also eat better and take better care of their bodies, such as by sticking to a regular sleep schedule. 

'Physicians should consider screening for depression among unmarried patients with cancer and refer patients to mental health specialists if symptoms are identified,' the authors wrote. 

The researchers also pointed to other research suggesting that marriage has physical health benefits as well, including boosting the cardiovascular, hormone, and immune systems. 

Newer research has also seen similar results. 

A review published last year in the journal Cancer Medicine, for example, looked at 67 research papers from 1987 to 2022. 

The team found that 'being unmarried is associated with significantly worse overall and cancer‐specific survival,' with the most vulnerable group being divorced or separated men. 

And researchers in China found in 2022 that 72 percent of married men and women were likely to be alive five years after being diagnosed with gastric cancer. Meanwhile, this rate dropped to 60 percent for widows. 

They suggested this was due to 'emotional encouragement' from their partner, as well as 'nagging' to get symptoms checked out. 

The experts also argued that marital status of patients should be considered a risk factor for cancer, calling on greater support for single or separated patients. 

Dr Landau said that the improved outcomes in married patients could be due to several reasons. 

One of these is that patients tend to downplay their symptoms, which could lead to them getting ineffective or weak treatments. 

A partner, he said, would be able to tell the doctor exactly how the patient is feeling without sugarcoating the issue. 

'Having a partner involved to help monitor the patient for side effects of therapy and to reliably report what's happening to the physician makes a huge difference in long-term outcomes,' Dr Landau said. 

'Sometimes, as oncologists, we hesitate to offer therapies with higher side effect profiles to people who don't have partners out of fear of what may happen to the patient if they don't have reliable support.' 

He also noted that cancer is 'a very isolating experience' due to patients missing work, social events, and time with friends to receive treatment and rest. 'There are clear links between worsening depression and inferior outcomes with cancer therapies,' he said. 

'Having a supportive partner can help improve mood and motivation, keeping the patient in better spirits as they go through a battle with cancer.'

And having a support system like a spouse makes patients more likely to attend all appointments, as they will have someone to drive them and help them manage their schedule. 

'Cancer is an expensive battle. Having a partner who can help with finances can be the difference in someone being able to take their medications or get their follow up care rather than going into debt or neglecting care,' Dr Landau said.  

Several users responded to Dr Wilcox's post of the study, agreeing with the sentiment. 

User Steve Sailer said: 'When I had cancer in 1997, my wife played a crucial role in figuring out which hoops I had to jump through to get state of the art treatment and motivating me to do it.' 

And The Franklo-Saxon wrote: 'My grandmother saved my grandfather more than once before he became decrepit by insisting that he go to the doctor when he otherwise wouldn't have. I wonder if that's part of the effect here.'  

Others were more cynical. 'Oh come on. Men with wives probably just get nagged to go to the doctor earlier,' Richard Hanania wrote. 

And a user named BacklashRC wrote: 'This should surprise no one. Women harrass men to get checkups that they would otherwise not get.'