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Marriage may improve colon cancer survival rates

Category: Colon

Married individuals who receive a positive colon cancer test may be more likely to survive the disease than their single peers, according to a new study out of Penn State University.

For the investigation, researchers examined the records of nearly 128,000 individuals. The data collected from these patients showed that married individuals with colon cancer were 14 percent more likely to survive than those who were not married.

The findings are important given the fact that colon cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in the U.S. It is prevalent among both men and women.

The researchers said that their data could not confirm the reason behind the association between marriage and better survival rates, but they speculated that having an extra person to help with day-to-day care may make a difference. Having a full-time caregiver may help patients stick to disease management plans.

Also, the study revealed that married individuals tend to be diagnosed at an early stage of cancer, which plays a critical role in pushing up survival rates.