Life change and lung cancer

Seventy-four lung cancer patients were studied with the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. There was a significantly higher association of recent life change with younger cancer patients than with older ones. There was no such difference in a control group of colorectal cancer patients. These results imply that lung cancer patients fall into two groups: a younger group, in which life change is a promoting factor, and an older group, in which life change has little or no effect in precipitating the onset of the disease.