title: Marriage and divorce among young adult cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined marital outcomes among cancer survivors diagnosed during early adulthood from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible participants were ages 20-39 years. Of the 74,433 eligible, N = 1,198 self-reported a cancer diagnosis between the ages of 18 and 37, were ≥2 years past diagnosis, and did not have non-melanoma skin cancer. The remaining N = 67,063 were controls. Using generalized linear models adjusted for age, gender, race, and education, we generated relative risks (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) to examine survivor status on indicators of ever married, currently married, and divorced/separated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survivors were slightly older than controls [33.0 (SD = 3.8) vs. 30.0 (SD = 4.0); p < 0.001]. Average time since diagnosis was 7.4 years. Most common diagnoses were cervical (females; 45 %) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (males; 20 %). Survivors were less likely to be currently married than controls (58 % vs. 64 %; RR = 0.92, 95 % CI 0.85-0.99). Among ever married participants, survivors were at an increased risk of divorce/separation than controls (18 % vs. 10 %; RR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.43-2.19). Divorce/separation risk persisted for female survivors (RR 1.83, 95 % CI 1.49-2.25), survivors ages 20-29 (RR 2.57, 95 % CI 1.53-4.34), and survivors ages 30-39 (RR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.29-2.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The emotional and financial burdens of cancer may lead to marital stress for younger cancer survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young survivors may face a higher risk of divorce; support systems are needed to assist them in the years following diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Children's Cancer Research, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Anne.Kirchhoff@hci.utah.edu
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kirchhoff
authors.forename: Jaehee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Echo L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Ken R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult