The scientists also noted limitations in their study.

“Legal marital status is a heterogeneous administrative classification that does not directly measure social support, partnership quality, cohabitation, or relational stability,” they noted. “Individuals in long-term cohabiting relationships may experience levels of emotional and instrumental support similar to married individuals yet are classified as never-married in registry and census data.”

Conversely, they noted, people in strained or abusive marriages may not experience protective social benefits.

“Legal marriage should not be interpreted as a direct proxy for social support but rather as a structural and institutional marker that may correlate with broader social and behavioral patterns influencing cancer risk,” they wrote.

Nevertheless, they said, “Given that approximately 20 per cent of adults (aged 30 and older) are never-married, the population-level impact of this disparity is substantial.”

And as with most medical studies, the final word is that more research is needed. Expect some scientists presented with the question of whether they want to dig deeper into the topic to answer: “I do.”