Overview
- Published Wednesday, the peer‑reviewed analysis found never‑married men had 68% higher cancer incidence and never‑married women 85% higher.
- The study drew on more than 4 million cases from 12 SEER states between 2015 and 2022, comparing adults 30 and older who were ever married with those never married.
- The widest gaps appeared in cancers tied to modifiable risks, including about five times the anal cancer rate in never‑married men and nearly triple the cervical cancer rate in never‑married women.
- Patterns differed by group, with women showing a larger marriage‑linked advantage, stronger associations after age 50, and married Black men having lower rates than married White men.
- Authors stressed the link is associative, noting missing data on smoking, HPV, or parity and the exclusion of unmarried partners, and they urged outreach to socially isolated adults for screening and support.