New research suggests that unemployment may be associated with significant increases in prostate cancer mortality.

British researchers examined the consequences that changes in unemployment, such as the Great Recession of the late 2000s, have had in generating excess deaths due to a treatable disease such as prostate cancer. They said that the effect of a 1 percent rise in unemployment continued for at least five years.

They ruled out that the effect was simply due to the fact that the unemployed patients might belong to social groups that are more likely to experience prostate cancer mortality. They found that this trend continued after they controlled "the effect of competing forces such as economic factors, infrastructure, hospital resources, and health care spending."

"There are two broad implications emerging from this study. First, policies that support employment may have positive knock-on effects on mortality rates from a treatable disease such as prostate cancer," study author Jonathan Watkins said in a statement. "Second, healthcare professionals should be aware of the additional risks entailed by unemployment, and facilitate access of care to this population. Both policy makers and clinicians can work together to mitigate the health outcome effects of unemployment."

These patients' mortality risk could be decreased by initiatives that bolster employment may have societal knock-on effects of their own.

They suggests that support initiatives may help to minimize prostate cancer mortality during times of economic hardship.

The findings are detailed in the journal ecancermedicalscience.