Men more likely to die from cancer
Men who are diagnosed with cancer are more likely to die from the disease than women, due to a higher initial risk and later detection, US research shows. The evidence gives us reason to question: is the fairer sex the stronger sex?
Men who are diagnosed with cancer are more likely to die from the disease than women, due to a higher initial risk and later detection, US research shows. The evidence gives us reason to question: is the fairer sex the stronger sex?
Cancer Council Australia’s chief executive officer, Professor Ian Olver, says the US findings would be similar in Australia.
“We’re a developed nation to the same degree as the United States and we have very similar characteristics in terms of diet, exercise, smoking, etc. I would suggest that the factors that influence incidence are pretty similar,” he says.
According to Professor Olver, an interesting finding from the study is the changing incidence of lung cancer over time.
For lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, the research found the male-to-female mortality rate ratios were 2.3 male deaths for each female death.
The average lifetime chance that a man will develop lung cancer is about one in 13, compared to one in 16 for women.
Professor Olver says the number of men who smoke has dropped since the start of WWII, while the number of women smoking has increased.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, looked at a database of 36 different types of cancer from 1977 to 2006.
The differences arise because men are more at risk of developing cancer to begin with, according to Michael Cook, an investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at NCI.
Mr Cook says gender differences in exposure to carcinogens, including tobacco smoke and viral infections play a role in the rate disparity.
The study also cited “universal” mechanisms, such as sex chromosomes and hormones, which may contribute to observed sex differences in cancer incidence.
The NCI researchers say there was no single root cause for the rate disparity, but influences include differences in behaviour of the tumour, cancer screening for people without symptoms, presence of other illnesses and whether patients sought healthcare services.
