Bias in cancer treatment for single people?

Did you know that being single or married is linked to the different treatments doctors prescribe for cancer patients? Is there any bias against unmarried cancer patients?

Single people may be given different treatment, and the treatment they receive is also generally less than that given to married people

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine has pointed to biases in the cancer treatments doctors offer: unmarried cancer patients are less likely to survive, possibly due in part to doctors' prejudices about single patients. This study was written by Professor Joan DelFattore of the University of Delaware when she was being treated for gallbladder cancer in 2011. At that time, her physician assessed her chances of successful treatment based on her marital status.  She decided to share her views with friends and received a great deal of feedback, which led to her research.

Marital status has been used to classify treatment options for cancer patients since 1987.  Doctors decide on treatment partly based on information about the patient's social relationships when making recommendations such as surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

The study, titled "Death by Stereotype? Cancer Treatment in Unmarried Patients", statistically analyzed 84 medical articles compiled from the database of the National Cancer Institute and found a correlation between marital status and the treatment patients received, according to the research method.

According to DelFattore, this is not shocking information; what is shocking is that this bias has been buried and has quietly persisted for 30 years in academic journals. DelFattore hopes her research will spark a conversation that raises awareness of the issue. Besides the risks caused by unintentional bias regarding  race and gender, there is also bias regarding marital status in the treatment of cancer patients.

References:

1. The New England Journal of Medicine

2. Science Daily