Men die more often from cancer

Lethal cancer in men is much more common

07/14/2011

Men are more likely to succumb to the consequences of cancer than women. Epidemiologist Michael Cook of the US Cancer Institute comes to this conclusion as part of the evaluation of the cancer registry SEER.

The US researcher has evaluated cancer registry data on 36 different cancers and found that men die more frequently from cancer than women. Michael Cool explained when presenting the study in the current issue of the journal „Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention“, that men „in a majority of cancers a greater risk of dying (carrying) than women.“ One reason for this could be the more regular visits to the doctor's office, the scientist suspects. In men, the tumors are often already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis.

Significant gender differences in cancer deaths
Together with his colleagues from the US Cancer Institute, Cook has evaluated the data of the cancer registry SEER for 36 different cancers. The researchers were able to detect significant differences between the disease progression of women and men. Cancer sufferers are more likely to suffer the consequences of their cancer than women, the US scientists report. The gender differences were most pronounced in the fatal cancers of the oral cavity and larynx, Cook and colleagues report. About five times more men than women die as a result of these two types of cancer, according to the results of the current study. In addition, the ratio of male and female cancer victims in lip cancer was 5.51 to one, in esophageal carcinoma 4.08 to one, and 3.36 to one in bladder cancer, said the US researchers. Overall, the chances of survival of the women in the mentioned cancers were thus significantly better than those of men.

Cancers with the highest mortality rates
Gender differences have also been confirmed in the highest mortality mortality rates, Cook and colleagues report. For example, men die 2.31 times more frequently from lung or bronchial cancers, 1.42 times more frequently from colorectal cancer (colorectal carcinoma) and 1.37 times more frequently from pancreatic cancer (pancreatic carcinoma). Also in the so-called blood cancer (leukemia) are 1.75 times more male deaths recorded than women. For cancers of the liver and bile ducts, the ratio was 2.23 to one. One clear exception, on the other hand, is breast cancer, in which significantly more women suffer than men. So far, the US researchers have not been able to clarify clearly, which causes the gender-specific differences in the fatal cancer.

Reduced cancer risk through more regular visits to the doctor?
Epidemiologist Michael Cook said that some of his colleagues believe that this may be due to more regular visits to the doctor and increased participation of women in cancer screenings and screening. But against this assumption speak according to the expert, the 5-year survival rates in the various cancers. Because here only low gender differences are observed. For example, Michael Cook believes that the significant differences in fatal cancer are more likely to be due to the causes of the illness than to the more regular visits to the doctor. (Fp)

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