This large review combined data from 22 different studies involving up to 421,799 participants. The goal was to see if psychosocial factors like perceived social support, loss, relationship status, or neuroticism were linked to developing cancer. The researchers looked at overall cancer risk and specific types including breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer.
For most cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal, the study found no association between these social factors and increased cancer risk. Even for cancers linked to alcohol or tobacco, no such link was found. However, for lung cancer, certain factors like low social support, being single, or experiencing a loss were associated with a higher risk.
It is important to note that these findings show associations, not cause and effect. When the researchers adjusted for known risk factors, the link for lung cancer became weaker. This suggests that lifestyle factors like smoking may explain the connection rather than the social factors themselves. Readers should not interpret this as proof that social stress causes cancer.
