Married men more likely to go for prostate cancer screening

Washington, Dec 8 (ANI): A new study has found that married men are more likely to go for early prostate cancer screening than their lone counterparts.

The research team from University of Michigan has found that men are less likely to go for early screening unless they have a wife or significant other living with them.

"In terms of motivating people to get screened, there may be benefit in targeting wives or significant others as well as men," said lead author Lauren P. Wallner, M.P.H., a graduate research associate at the University of Michigan.

During the study, the research team led by Wallner looked at 2,447 Caucasian men ages 40 years to 79 years from Olmstead County, Minnesota.

They were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding queries on family history of prostate cancer, concern about getting prostate cancer and marital status.

The findings revealed if men had a family history of prostate cancer, they were 50 percent more likely to be screened.

If men said they were worried about prostate cancer, they were nearly twice as likely to be screened.

While the likelihood of men with a family history to get screened decreased if they lived alone.

On the whole, men who lived alone were 40 percent less likely to be screened than those who were married or had a significant other in their home.

Wallner said the study did not assess what caused a married man to be more likely to be screened.

She also said that further studies would need to examine this effect.

The study is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. (ANI)