How To Survive Cancer: Happy Marriage May Be The Key

A new study sheds some light on how to survive cancer. Those who enjoy a happy marriage may have better chances of surviving the dreaded disease.

Huffington Post reported that according to scientists, married individuals who develop cancer live longer compared to unmarried ones. The cause for this does not have something to do with money. It is the supportive relationship that one enjoys within marriage.

"The major driving factor is greater social support, and less social isolation, among married patients," said Scarlett Lin Gomez, author of the study and a research scientist at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. Singles don't enjoy the same kind of support as they often find themselves alone without a better-half whom they can confide in.

According to Gomez, social support can either be in terms of tangible or emotional support. Tangible support includes financial support as well as the facilities that you need to fight off cancer. On the other hand, emotional support is the one that you get from your spouse or a family member.

Researchers conducted an analysis of data from about 800,000 patients found in the California Cancer Registry. The time period of analysis was between 2000 and 2009. A follow-up analysis was conducted thereafter until 2012.

Essence mentioned that the death rate in cancer patients who are unmarried is higher compared to those who have a healthy married life. For single males, the death rate is 27 percent higher. For single women, it is at 19 percent higher.

Since the treatment could go on for months, singles normally don't have somebody beside them to help them out. They don't easily find words of consolation or encouragement. Married individuals get all these from their spouse, giving them the strength to fight the disease.

These numbers may not be conclusive enough in determining whether a cancer patient will live longer if he is married. However, since the study showed that there is a higher chance of living longer, then marriage might be the answer. If you know of other ways on how to survive cancer, please share them below.