A large-scale analysis of cancer incidence from 2015 to 2022 suggests that never marrying is linked to a substantially higher likelihood of developing cancer compared with being married. The pattern was observed across many different types of cancer.
Preventable cancers
Drawing on more than 4 million cancer cases among over 100 million adults aged 30 and older in the US, researchers report that never-married men face approximately a 70% higher cancer incidence rate than married men, while never-married women face up to an 85% higher rate compared with married women, according to The Sun. The disparity was especially pronounced for preventable cancers.
The difference in cancer incidence was less pronounced for malignancies with well-established national screening programs in the United States, including breast, prostate, and thyroid cancers.For some cancers tied to reproductive health—such as endometrial and ovarian cancers—the trend may stem partly from biological mechanisms, with women who have never given birth at higher risk of those diseases.
Certain cancer types showed especially steep disparities. Among men, the incidence of anal cancer was about five times higher in those who had never married than in those who were married. Among women, the rate of cervical cancer in those never married was nearly triple that of married women.
People who marry live longer
Researchers and experts note that several health advantages frequently track with marriage in population studies. Married people are at lower risk of diabetes and depression, are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and tend to live longer.
Study authors point to several possible explanations. Married individuals are more likely to benefit from a strong social support system, greater financial stability, and regular medical check-ups often encouraged by spouses.
Unmarried people may be more likely to engage in behaviors associated with greater cancer risk, including smoking, alcohol use, and poorer diet, and may have more sexual partners than married people—factors that can increase the risk for certain cancers.
The researchers note that having children is associated with lower risks of womb and ovarian cancers; wives are statistically more likely to be mothers.
Some scholars argue that the apparent benefits of marriage can also reflect systems that reward it, such as health insurance coverage rules that extend benefits to spouses but not to other household members.