Comparison with previous research The significant effects of stigmatization on depression are in line with and generalize previous studies4,7,9–13, which were mostly conducted among lung cancer patients4,9,11–13. We observed that lung cancer patients were the only group that did not show significant relationships across all stigmatization scales, corresponding with results of a small study of 95 lung cancer patients also using the SIS9. We find this important in two ways: First, it demonstrates the importance of reporting results separately among different cancer sites, as effects may vary dependent on the type of cancer. Second, given that negative consequences of stigmatization seem to be even more wide-ranging in other groups of cancer patients, future stigma research should go beyond the previous focus of lung cancer to obtain a broader picture of risk factors for stigmatization.