Married adults found to have lower cancer risk in major study

The study, published in Cancer Research Communications, analysed nearly four million cancer cases among people aged 30 and older, using data from more than 100 million adults across 12 US states between 2015 and 2022.

Researchers found that adults who had never married had a considerably higher cancer incidence than those who were married — as well as those who were divorced or widowed.

Among men who had never married, cancer rates were 68–70 per cent higher than among people who had ever been married.

Among never-married women, incidence was 83–85 per cent higher, a difference some experts described as striking.

“When it comes to getting cancer, putting a ring on it may offer more protection to women,” said Dr Brad Wilcox, a University of Virginia professor who studies marriage, and who was not involved in the research.

He noted that past research often suggests men benefit more from marriage, making the pattern in this study notable.

The researchers also reported sharp differences across specific cancer types. Anal cancer was up to five times more common among never-married men, while cervical cancer was almost three times more common among never-married women.

Both cancers are frequently linked to viruses such as HPV.

However, the authors cautioned that the findings do not mean marriage itself protects against cancer. Instead, they said marital status may reflect other factors — including healthier lifestyles, stronger social networks and better financial stability — that can increase the likelihood of early screening, timely treatment and adherence to medical advice.

The study’s lead author, Dr Paulo S. Pinheiro, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Health System, said the association appeared stronger among older adults, suggesting the effect of social and behavioural factors may accumulate over time.

The analysis also showed variations by race and ethnicity, with Black men appearing to benefit most from marriage. Dr Jarrod A. Carrol, a geriatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California who was not involved in the research, said the finding highlights the role of support systems within families.

“They provide support and they encourage a Black man to seek earlier treatment and evaluation,” Carrol said, adding that family structures can influence whether people pursue screening and care.

Still, critics warn against oversimplifying the results. Dr Andrew J. Cherlin, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and a family sociologist, noted that marriage rates are falling in many societies, raising questions about who might miss out on the benefits of social support and stability that marriage often brings.

Cherlin and other researchers also highlight a long-standing debate: does marriage make people healthier, or are healthier people more likely to get married?

Some experts argue the apparent benefits may reflect systems that reward marriage rather than marriage itself.

Dr Joan DelFattore, who has written on cancer and marital status and was not involved in the study, said health insurance and care structures often extend benefits to spouses while excluding other forms of support, potentially disadvantaging unmarried people.

DelFattore, who has also shared her experience as an unmarried cancer patient, said stereotypes in medicine can worsen outcomes, including assumptions that single patients lack support at home.

The researchers said the findings should be treated as a call for targeted prevention and support — not advice to get married.

They urged unmarried people to prioritise routine check-ups, healthy lifestyles and strong support networks, and called for public health policies that better reach populations at higher social risk.