Overview
- An analysis of more than 4 million cases across 12 U.S. states found higher cancer incidence from 2015 to 2022 in adults who never married, with men 68% higher and women 85% higher.
- The largest differences appeared in cancers tied to human papillomavirus, with anal cancer in men about five times higher and cervical cancer in women nearly three times higher among the never-married.
- Rates differed by race, as never-married Black men had the highest overall cancer rates, while married Black men had lower rates than married White men.
- The authors say the link does not prove cause, since the registry data could not fully account for income, education, smoking, childbearing, or whether partners lived together.
- Public-health efforts could cut these gaps by raising HPV vaccination and routine screening, which already narrow differences for cancers with strong programs such as breast and prostate.