WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Loneliness and social isolation may be associated with increased mortality in patients with cancer, according to a study published online Oct. 14 in BMJ Oncology.
Samantha Cheng, from the University of Toronto, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the association between mortality and loneliness and social isolation among cancer populations.
Based on 13 studies, the meta-analysis revealed loneliness and social isolation were associated with increased all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.34; P < 0.001) and cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratio, 1.11; P = 0.014).
“Social isolation and loneliness are thought to increase mortality risk in patients with cancer through interconnected biological, psychological, and behavioral mechanisms,” the authors write.