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• Posted October 15, 2025

Loneliness Linked To Lower Odds Of Cancer Survival

Loneliness or social isolation might lower a cancer patient’s odds of survival, according to a new evidence review.

Cancer patients who feel lonely appear to have a higher risk of death, both from their malignancy and from other health problems, researchers reported Oct. 14 in the journal BMJ Oncology.

Loneliness is associated with a 34% higher risk of death from any cause, according to data from nearly 1.6 million cancer patients in previous studies, researchers found.

Loneliness also is linked to an 11% increased risk of death from cancer itself, according to data from more than 2.1 million patients.

“These findings collectively suggest that loneliness and social isolation may influence cancer outcomes beyond traditional biological and treatment-related factors,” wrote the research team led by Dr. Srinivas Raman, a radiation oncologist with BC Cancer-Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.

Loneliness is relatively common among people fighting cancer, affecting up to nearly half of patients, researchers said in background notes. It’s also been associated with other health problems, including sleep disorders, a flagging immune system and chronic pain.

“The unique burden of cancer survivorship often includes forms of isolation stemming directly from disease and treatment experiences, including the inability of loved ones to fully understand cancer-associated fears, stigma around visible treatment effects, and survivorship-related anxieties,” researchers wrote.

“Treatment-induced physical changes (fatigue, cognitive impairments) may further limit social participation, while prolonged medicalization of life can erode pre-illness identity and community connections,” the team wrote.

For the new evidence review, researchers analyzed data from 13 previous studies on cancer and loneliness or social isolation.

The pooled data showed a link between loneliness and risk of death among cancer patients, researchers found.

“Our findings are consistent with prior research linking psychosocial stressors to adverse health outcomes,” researchers wrote. “Social isolation and loneliness are thought to increase mortality risk in patients with cancer through interconnected biological, psychological and behavioral mechanisms.”

They elaborated this way: “Biologically, the stress response triggered by loneliness may lead to immune dysregulation and heightened inflammatory activity, ultimately contributing to disease progression.”

However, researchers noted that the studies were observational and can only show an association, rather than a cause-and-effect link between loneliness and death.

If the results are confirmed in future well-conducted studies, they point to a means of improving cancer patients’ odds through outreach.

“With stronger evidence for a causal link, psychosocial assessments and targeted interventions for loneliness and social isolation could be investigated, and if they show benefit, should be integrated in cancer care to improve patient outcomes,” researchers wrote.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on social isolation and loneliness.

SOURCES: BMJ, news release, Oct. 14, 2025; BMJ Oncology, Oct. 14, 2025