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Cancer in childhood affects likelihood of marriage

9 October 2009: People who survive cancer in childhood are less likely to get married, according to a new study.

 

The US researchers found that people diagnosed with certain forms of cancer, including leukaemia and cancers of the central nervous system, before the age of 21 were less likely to marry than those who had not had cancer.

Nearly 9,000 people who had cancer in childhood completed three questionnaires over nine years about their marital status. Their responses were compared to information from their siblings who had never had cancer and the general population in the US.

After taking into account the age, sex and race of the people in the study, the researchers found that nearly half of those who had had cancer in childhood were unmarried compared to only a third of their siblings and the general population. The results also showed that people diagnosed with cancer before the age of 13, or those who had had radiation to their skull, were the least likely to marry.

The researchers believe that having radiation treatment to the brain affects a person’s ability to process information that may lead to problems with social skills. Also, people who have had radiation treatment may not grow as tall as their peers because of the effect it has on growth hormones. Previous studies have shown that shorter people are less likely to get married.

Medical director for Bupa International, Dr Sneh Khemka, said: “These findings are interesting and show that if you have cancer as a child, even if you make a full recovery, there may still be long-term effects. However, this study is based on cancer survivors who received treatment over 20 years ago so these findings may not apply to people treated more recently.”

Dr Khemka went on to say: “All the same, this work indicates that further research is needed into the long-term social effects of cancer and the treatment of it on childhood survivors of the disease.”

Key facts

  • Leukaemia is the most common type of childhood cancer in the UK.
  • In the US, leukaemia and cancers of the brain and central nervous system are the most common in children.
  • Leukaemia affects the white blood cells. There are several types of leukaemia – they are named after the different cells they affect.
  • Other cancers that can affect children are Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but they are still rare.
  • Lymphomas affect the lymphatic system – a network of organs connected by lymph vessels that carry a fluid that helps fight infections.
  • The cause of most childhood cancers isn’t known. However, things that may increase the risk include Down’s syndrome, exposure to radiation and problems with development in the womb.

  • Read the study

    Janson C, Leisenring W, Cox C, et al. Predictors of marriage and divorce in adult survivors of childhood cancers: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009; 18(10):2626–35.
    doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-0959

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