Estrogen a ‘bowel cancer shield’
The female hormone estrogen may help protect against bowel cancer in younger women. Results from a NSW study of almost 1,200 patients with bowel cancer found that while women were no more likely than men to develop the cancer, once they had it, they were more likely to die than men if the women were aged over 51. Women aged under 51 with bowel cancer were 60% less likely to die from their bowel cancer than men.
The study was based on data collected from patients at all six public hospitals run by the Sydney South-West Area Health Service from 2000 to 2004. Bowel cancer is the second-most common cancer among men and women in Australia, and the second most common cause of cancer death. There are expected to be 14,643 new cases this year. In 2004, the disease killed 4,126 Australians, a death rate of almost 20%.
