Health & Medicine
Loneliness Can Kill People, Study On Breast Cancer Patients Suggests
Tripti
First Posted: Dec 15, 2016 03:20 AM EST
A long-term experimental study conducted on 10,000 breast cancer patients revealed that women who live isolated and have limited social interactions have higher probability of experiencing recurrence of cancer. On the contrary, those women who have strong social ties and a support network of friends and family have better chances of survival. Statistical analysis showed that socially constrained patients have 40 percent higher chances of cancer recurrence and about 60 percent to 70 percent higher chances of dying irrespective of the causative factors.
Candyce Kroenke, lead researcher of the project, said "It is well established that women generally and those with breast cancer with greater social ties have a lower risk of death overall." She suggested that doctors of breast cancer patients should consider the social support network of their patients while doing the prognosis of the disease.
Kassandra Alcaraz, strategic director, health equity research, American Cancer Society, said that "People are social animals" and emphasized that "We were not meant to be isolated, so the benefits we get from relationships with others and being part of a community are not surprising."
According to Health Day, the results of the study are very clear, but the exact reason as to why it so is still a debatable question. On this note, Alcaraz commented: "Having social ties may provide access to real assistance, like having someone to take you to the doctor or having someone to talk to about your concerns or connecting you with resources that can help you cope with the cancer." Having connections to others helps reduce stress and depression and thus leads to better health outcomes, she added.
The findings of the study were published online in the Cancer journal on Dec. 12, 2016. The article illustrates that factors like age, ethnicity, community and country play a major role in determining the social interactions of patients and their associated health outcomes. Most positive results were observed in older white and Asian women. Also, the dependence of social ties and cancer prognosis was clearly evident in the early stages of cancer treatment.
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First Posted: Dec 15, 2016 03:20 AM EST
A long-term experimental study conducted on 10,000 breast cancer patients revealed that women who live isolated and have limited social interactions have higher probability of experiencing recurrence of cancer. On the contrary, those women who have strong social ties and a support network of friends and family have better chances of survival. Statistical analysis showed that socially constrained patients have 40 percent higher chances of cancer recurrence and about 60 percent to 70 percent higher chances of dying irrespective of the causative factors.
Candyce Kroenke, lead researcher of the project, said "It is well established that women generally and those with breast cancer with greater social ties have a lower risk of death overall." She suggested that doctors of breast cancer patients should consider the social support network of their patients while doing the prognosis of the disease.
Kassandra Alcaraz, strategic director, health equity research, American Cancer Society, said that "People are social animals" and emphasized that "We were not meant to be isolated, so the benefits we get from relationships with others and being part of a community are not surprising."
According to Health Day, the results of the study are very clear, but the exact reason as to why it so is still a debatable question. On this note, Alcaraz commented: "Having social ties may provide access to real assistance, like having someone to take you to the doctor or having someone to talk to about your concerns or connecting you with resources that can help you cope with the cancer." Having connections to others helps reduce stress and depression and thus leads to better health outcomes, she added.
The findings of the study were published online in the Cancer journal on Dec. 12, 2016. The article illustrates that factors like age, ethnicity, community and country play a major role in determining the social interactions of patients and their associated health outcomes. Most positive results were observed in older white and Asian women. Also, the dependence of social ties and cancer prognosis was clearly evident in the early stages of cancer treatment.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone