A Norwegian study published last year in the journal BMC Public Health looked at the difference in cancer incidence between married, divorced, widowed and single people. The results showed that men who never marry have up to a 20% higher risk of dying from cancer than those who marry at some point in their life. In women, however, the difference is only 5% between single and married, with less risk also for the latter. The results are independent of the organ where the tumor is located, age or educational level, as well as the stage in which the cancer is when it is diagnosed.
"The differences that we have found could be due to the fact that people who are married or living with a partner enjoy better general health at the time they are diagnosed with cancer, as well as because they follow more" to the letter "the treatment than singles, "suggests Astri Suse, a co-author of the study.
