Astri Syse1. 1. Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway. astri.syse@medisin.uio.no
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Finding a life partner is of great importance for persons' life satisfaction, but cancer's potential impact on family life is not well described. Cancer's impact on marriage formation rates was therefore explored. METHOD: Data on the entire unmarried Norwegian population aged 17-44 in 1974-2001 (N = 2.2 million) come from the Cancer Registry and the Central Population Register. Marriage rates for 12,100 persons diagnosed with cancer were compared to marriage rates for otherwise similar persons using discrete-time hazard regression models. RESULTS: Men with cancer had a marriage probability that was five percent higher (OR 1.05, CI 1.01-1.11) than cancer-free men. No cancer forms reduced men's marriage rates, and significantly elevated rates were seen after skin and testicular cancer (OR 1.16 and 1.11). Cancer did not impact significantly on women's overall marriage rate (OR 0.95, CI 0.90-1.00), but pronounced deficiencies were seen after brain and breast cancer (OR 0.62 and 0.74). Skin cancer elevated women's marriage rate (OR 1.27). Male cancer survivors with children were more likely to marry than their female counterparts. Significant increases in cancer survivors' marriage rates were observed over time. CONCLUSION: Marrying after cancer is more common today than previously, and only slight overall differences were observed in cancer survivors' marriage rates relative to those of the cancer-free population. However, while brain and breast cancer in women is associated with reduced marriage rates, testicular cancer is associated with increased rates. The differences observed between common cancer forms in young adults deserve further exploration. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: In general, marriage rates in survivors of most types of cancer are very similar to those in the population as a whole. Women with brain and breast cancer have lower marriage rates than their cancer-free counterparts. While it is necessary to identify exactly why this was observed, the information can alert those with these cancers to the potential impact on marriage and thus work to reduce the possible effect, if desired.
INTRODUCTION: Finding a life partner is of great importance for persons' life satisfaction, but cancer's potential impact on family life is not well described. Cancer's impact on marriage formation rates was therefore explored. METHOD: Data on the entire unmarried Norwegian population aged 17-44 in 1974-2001 (N = 2.2 million) come from the Cancer Registry and the Central Population Register. Marriage rates for 12,100 persons diagnosed with cancer were compared to marriage rates for otherwise similar persons using discrete-time hazard regression models. RESULTS:Men with cancer had a marriage probability that was five percent higher (OR 1.05, CI 1.01-1.11) than cancer-free men. No cancer forms reduced men's marriage rates, and significantly elevated rates were seen after skin and testicular cancer (OR 1.16 and 1.11). Cancer did not impact significantly on women's overall marriage rate (OR 0.95, CI 0.90-1.00), but pronounced deficiencies were seen after brain and breast cancer (OR 0.62 and 0.74). Skin cancer elevated women's marriage rate (OR 1.27). Male cancer survivors with children were more likely to marry than their female counterparts. Significant increases in cancer survivors' marriage rates were observed over time. CONCLUSION: Marrying after cancer is more common today than previously, and only slight overall differences were observed in cancer survivors' marriage rates relative to those of the cancer-free population. However, while brain and breast cancer in women is associated with reduced marriage rates, testicular cancer is associated with increased rates. The differences observed between common cancer forms in young adults deserve further exploration. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: In general, marriage rates in survivors of most types of cancer are very similar to those in the population as a whole. Women with brain and breast cancer have lower marriage rates than their cancer-free counterparts. While it is necessary to identify exactly why this was observed, the information can alert those with these cancers to the potential impact on marriage and thus work to reduce the possible effect, if desired.
Authors: J Byrne; T R Fears; S C Steinhorn; J J Mulvihill; R R Connelly; D F Austin; G F Holmes; F F Holmes; H B Latourette; M J Teta Journal: JAMA Date: 1989-11-17 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: F Joly; M Henry-Amar; P Arveux; O Reman; A Tanguy; A M Peny; P Lebailly; J Macé-Lesec'h; B Vié; J Y Génot; A Busson; X Troussard; M Leporrier Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 1996-09 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Clare Frobisher; Emma R Lancashire; David L Winter; Helen C Jenkinson; Michael M Hawkins Journal: Int J Cancer Date: 2007-08-15 Impact factor: 7.396
Authors: Arja H Harila-Saari; Päivi M Lähteenmäki; Eero Pukkala; Pentti Kyyrönen; Marjatta Lanning; Risto Sankila Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2007-08-10 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Brad J Zebrack; Lonnie K Zeltzer; John Whitton; Ann C Mertens; Lorrie Odom; Roger Berkow; Leslie L Robison Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 9.703
Authors: Arianna Aldridge-Gerry; Jamie M Zeitzer; Oxana G Palesh; Booil Jo; Bita Nouriani; Eric Neri; David Spiegel Journal: Sleep Med Date: 2013-09-05 Impact factor: 3.492
Authors: Inga M R Jóhannsdóttir; Marianne J Hjermstad; Torbjørn Moum; Finn Wesenberg; Lars Hjorth; Henrik Schrøder; Päivi Lähteenmäki; Gudmundur Jónmundsson; Jon H Loge Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2010-01-16 Impact factor: 4.442