Research has shown that being single, married or divorced can influence cancer survival, but a new study shows marital status appears to have no impact on the outcome for women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation.
These findings from a study conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center were presented today at the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Denver, Colo.
"In the past, we've looked at survival rates for men and women with head and neck cancers who undergo radiotherapy," explained Shelly B. Hayes, M.D., chief resident in the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase. "What we found was that men who faired better in terms of survival were married. There didn't appear to be a link between survival and marital status for the women in this group. Likewise, in this new study involving breast cancer patient, marital status doesn't appear to affect survival." In Hayes' study, there were significant differences in age, method of detection, use of re-excision and use of systemic therapy when the group was divided by marital status.
The study population consisted of 2,143 patients with early-stage breast cancer who were treated with lumpectomy and radiation at Fox Chase Cancer Center between 1984 and 2003. Women who had a mastectomy or locally advanced disease and men with breast cancer were not eligible for this study.