Never Married, Higher Cancer Risk Across Many Cancers, Large US Study Finds
A large U.S. study of more than 4 million cancer cases across 12 states (2015–2022) finds adults who have never been married carry significantly higher cancer risk than those who are or have been married, across nearly all major cancers and especially those linked to infections, smoking, and reproductive factors. Never-married men are about five times more likely to develop anal cancer and never-married women about three times more likely to get cervical cancer, with overall cancer risk about 70% higher for men and 85% higher for women in the never-married group. The study emphasizes social factors as cancer risk markers, not that marriage protects against cancer, and suggests tailored risk awareness and screening, though lifestyle confounding and the exclusion of long-term unmarried partners are limitations.
