Loneliness may raise risk of dying from cancer, new study warns

Cancer patients who are lonely or socially isolated appear to be at higher risk of dying – both from cancer and other causes, a new analysis has found.

In the study, published in the BMJ Oncology medical journal, being lonely or socially isolated was associated with a 34 per cent higher risk of dying from any cause and an 11 per cent higher chance of dying from cancer, the analysis found.

The Canadian research team analysed data from 16 previously published studies that spanned more than 1.6 million people with cancer in Canada, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Japan and the United States.

“These findings collectively suggest that loneliness and social isolation may influence cancer outcomes beyond traditional biological and treatment-related factors,” the researchers said.

Social isolation and loneliness are related, but they are not the same. People are socially isolated when they lack relationships or contact with others; they are considered lonely when they feel alone, disconnected, or distant from others.

The researchers said that biologically, loneliness could trigger a stress response that harms the immune system and causes inflammation, worsening a cancer patient’s illness.

Cancer can also take a toll on people’s mental health, for example if they feel their loved ones do not understand what they are going through or if they experience fatigue and brain fog as a result of treatment.

The analysis has some limitations, notably that the studies it included used different methods and looked at different outcomes, and unknown factors could also have influenced the results.

But the findings add to a growing body of evidence that loneliness and social isolation can harm people’s health. Previous research has found they can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression and anxiety, and suicidal behaviours.

The study also comes amid an uptick in the global cancer burden. The number of new cancer cases worldwide is expected to rise by nearly 75 per cent by 2050, with lower income countries most affected due to population growth and ageing.

The latest findings indicate more should be done to support cancer patients’ mental wellbeing, the researchers said.

They also called for more rigorous studies to confirm the findings and “inform the development of targeted psychosocial interventions in cancer care”.