Dr. Vijayvirgiya stresses that it is unlikely that marriage itself is driving this matter. “If you removed the lifestyle factors associated with marriage, I think you might have different outcomes,” she says. “This is simply evidence that preventive behaviors are important for cancer prevention.”
Single people are not destined to get cancer.
Of course, not everyone meets the right person or even wants to get married. Many people also have long-term, committed relationships without marriage, or live a thriving social life as a single person. If you fall into any of these categories, doctors say you’re not meant to be Cancer development.
Marriage in and of itself does not have to provide a protective effect, according to Dr. Pinheiro. “Marital status is actually a marker of a range of exposures,” he says.
Dr. Pinheiro points out that the data did not separate out people in long-term partnerships or those who were living with someone; they were classified as never married. “If these partnerships provide similar levels of support and shared behaviors, some of the same patterns could apply, and the differences we observe may be somewhat underestimated,” he says.
Dr. McNeil agrees. “I think being in a committed relationship potentially confers similar benefits of reduced cancer risk to married people, insofar as people in a committed relationship are less likely to be socially isolated, (get) increased social support, which is also protective against cancer, and are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors,” she says.
Social support likely plays a role as well. “Social support, whether through a partner, family, or community, can influence health behaviors, access to care, and adherence to guidelines.” Examination “Marriage is one way to achieve this at a population level, but it is not the only way,” says Dr. Pinheiro. “Strong support systems outside of marriage may confer advantages, but it requires more work.”
