Impact of loneliness and social isolation on mortality among cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis

Loneliness and social isolation can have profound emotional and psychological impact on patients with cancer. Meta-analysis of 13 studies, with a total of 6248 cancer patients, found that loneliness/social isolation was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR 1.34; p<0.001) and cancer-specific mortality (HR 1.11; p=0.014). The authors conclude that these findings highlight te need to incorporate psychosocial assessments and targeted interventions into cancer care to improve patient outcomes.