Marriage and Cancer Risk: A Contemporary Population-Based Study Across Demographic Groups and Cancer Types

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Sociomedical Sciences

Background:

• Marriage is linked to better cancer diagnosis and survival.
• The association between marital status and cancer incidence remains less understood.
• Understanding these disparities is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cancer risk variations based on marital status.
• To analyze these differences across various cancer sites, sexes, racial/ethnic groups, and age brackets.
• To explore the potential social and behavioral pathways contributing to these disparities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized large-scale US population data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (2015-2022).
• Calculated age-adjusted cancer incidence rates comparing never-married and ever-married adults.
• Employed negative binomial regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR), stratified by demographic factors and cancer site.

Main Results:

• Never-married adults exhibited significantly higher overall cancer incidence (IRR men=1.68, women=1.85).
• Elevated incidence was observed across most cancer sites and racial/ethnic groups.
• Highest site-specific risks were noted for anal cancer in men (IRR=5.04) and cervical cancer in women (IRR=2.64).

Conclusions:

• Ever-married status is consistently associated with lower cancer risk.
• Marital status appears to stratify cancer risk through cumulative social and behavioral factors.
• Marital status can serve as a valuable social indicator for cancer risk stratification and prevention strategies.