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Cancer in childhood affects likelihood of marriage

13 October 2009

These findings suggest that surviving cancer as a child can affect you into adulthood. Further research into the effects of having childhood cancer is important so that survivors can be given the support they need.

Dr Paula Franklin, director of healthcare development, Bupa

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.

However, Dr Paula Franklin, director of healthcare development at Bupa, said the results were based on cancer survivors who received treatment over 20 years ago and might not apply to people treated more recently.

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 - this may lead to problems with social skills. The treatment can also affect the pituitary gland in the brain, which controls growth hormones, meaning that they may not grow as tall as their peers. Previous research backs up the finding that shorter people are less likely to get married.

Dr Franklin said: "These findings suggest that surviving cancer as a child can affect you into adulthood. Further research into the effects of having childhood cancer is important so that survivors can be given the support they need to manage within society as adults."

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.

Related information

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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