London: People who experience the loss of a partner face an increased risk of dying from skin cancer, and are less likely to be diagnosed with the malignant disease, according to a study which may lead to new interventions to detect melanoma early. The researchers assessed whether bereaved individuals had a higher risk of being diagnosed with, or dying from, melanoma than the non-bereaved. The study found that melanoma patients who experienced bereavement had a 17% higher risk of dying from the disease compared with those who were not bereaved.
Those who had lost a partner were 12% less likely to be diagnosed with melanoma compared with non-bereaved persons, according to the study. While earlier research has suggested a link between various types of stress and progression of melanoma, the scientists said an alternative explanation could be that bereaved people no longer have a close person to help notice skin changes. They said this might delay the detection of a possible abnormal growth on the skin, and therefore diagnosis, until the cancer has progressed to later stages, when it is generally more aggressive and harder to treat. The study noted that the survival rate of melanoma patients is relatively high, depending on what stage the cancer is at detection. Early detection and treatment are crucial for improving survival, the scientists said.