Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41034855›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Association of social isolation and loneliness with incident cancer in A Population-based cohort study.

Xiaojuan Liu, Ping Chen, Junru Wang, Zhuoyuan Li, Yongbin Zhu, Jiafei Yang, Liqun Wang, Shulan He, Xian Sun, Jiangping Li and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Xiaojuan LiuSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Ping ChenMedical Experiment center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Junru WangSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Zhuoyuan LiSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Yongbin ZhuSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Jiafei YangSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Liqun WangSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Shulan HeSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Xian SunSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.
Jiangping LiSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. lijp@nxmu.edu.cn.
Huifang YangSchool of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, 1160 Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. joyceyhf@163.com.

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province 2022AAC03174
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSocial isolation and loneliness pose significant public health challenges globally. This study aims to examine the association of social isolation, loneliness and their combined effects with incident cancer.

methodsThis study utilized data from the UK Biobank (UKB), which is a population-based prospective cohort. Social isolation and loneliness were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. Cancer cases were identified by linking to cancer registries.

resultsA total of 430,376 participants were included, during a mean follow-up of 14.32 years, 45,131 participants were diagnosed with cancer. Compared to participants in least isolated group, those in most isolated group had significantly higher risks of cancer of lip, oral cavity and pharynx (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.11-1.58), cancer of digestive organs (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.16), cancer of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07-1.28), breast cancer (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.18), cancer of female genital organs (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09-1.38), and cancer of urinary tract (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.17-1.46). However, the most isolated group had lower risks of cancer of mesothelial and soft tissue (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64-0.99), prostate cancer (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83-0.94). Individuals with loneliness had a significantly increased risk of cancer of urinary tract (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01-1.40), but a reduced risk of cancer of skin (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61-0.93).

conclusionsSocial isolation and loneliness were independently associated with incident cancer, with implications for early effective cancer prevention.

Indexed as

LonelinessNeoplasmsSocial IsolationAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRegistriesRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomCancerCohort studyLonelinessSocial isolation

Identifiers

PMID41034855
PMCPMC12487387

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.