Effect of Marital Status on Longer Time from Diagnosis to External Beam Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients According to Race/Ethnicity
In brief
Unmarried status linked to longer prostate radiation waits in three groups
In a 21,129-patient US registry study, unmarried men with high-risk prostate cancer were more likely to wait over four, five or six months for external beam radiation if they were White, Black or Hispanic; the pattern was not seen in Asian/Pacific Islander men. The observational data cannot show why the delays occur or whether marital support itself affects treatment timing.
- Journal
- Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities (Q1)
- Published
- 6 October 2026
- Study design
- Unclassified
- Evidence level
- Level 5, Expert Opinion (CEBM 5)
- Authors
- Leonardo Quarta, Federico Polverino, Michele Petix, Maximilian Filzmayer, Filippo Orlandi, Jordan A Goyal, et al.
- PMID
- 42837102
- DOI
- 10.1007/s40615-026-03186-6
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Radiation Oncology (paper of the day, 10 October 2026): Unmarried status predicts longer TT‑EBRT in high‑risk PCa
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Unmarried men may be at a disadvantage in various healthcare scenarios. We tested whether unmarried status may predispose to longer time between diagnosis and external beam radiation therapy (TT-EBRT) in high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) and whether this relationship may apply differently according to race/ethnicity. METHODS: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2010-2021), 21,129 high-risk PCa patients receiving EBRT were identified. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) models were fitted to test the association between unmarried status and TT-EBRT > 3, >4, > 5 and > 6 months, according to race/ethnicity (Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander). Interaction analysis was performed to assess whether the association between unmarried status and longer TT-EBRT varied according to race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Numbers and proportions of unmarried high-risk PCa patients were 3,841 (27.0%) Caucasians; 1,670 (47.0%) African Americans; 624 (28.0%) Hispanics and 230 (18.0%) Asians/Pacific Islanders. Numbers and proportions of unmarried high-risk PCa patients with TT-EBRT > 3, >4, > 5 and > 6 months were highest in Caucasians and African Americans, intermediate in Hispanics and lowest in Asians/Pacific Islanders. At MLR models, unmarried status independently predicted higher rates of TT-EBRT > 3 in Caucasians and Africans Americans, but not in Hispanics or Asians/Pacific Islanders, and higher rates of TT-EBRT > 4, >5 and > 6 months in equally strong fashion in Caucasians, African Americans and Hispanics, but not in Asians/Pacific Islanders. Interaction analysis demonstrated that the association between unmarried status and longer TT-EBRT varied significantly according to race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Unmarried status appears to predispose to longer TT-EBRT in Caucasians, African Americans and Hispanics high-risk PCa patients, in whom unmarried rates are highest. Conversely, in Asians/Pacific Islanders in whom unmarried rates are the lowest, unmarried status does not affect the proportion of men in whom TT-EBRT is longer than average.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.