Study Finds Women Survive Cancer at Higher Rates Than Men, But Face Greater Treatment Side Effects
New research indicates women diagnosed with cancer have a 21% lower risk of death and a 16% lower risk of disease progression compared to men, but experience a 12% higher risk of severe side effects from treatment. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, analyzed data from nearly 21,000 patients participating in clinical trials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Sex as a Prognostic Factor in Cancer Care
The study, led by researchers at Adelaide University, examined data from 39 clinical trials conducted between 2011 and 2021. Researchers found these associations were consistent across 11 advanced solid tumor types. Dr. Natansh Modi, the lead author, emphasized the importance of recognizing biological sex as a predictor of cancer care outcomes.
“Sex is a fundamental biological factor that influences immune function, drug metabolism, body composition and tumour biology,” Dr. Modi stated. “Yet despite longstanding recommendations from regulatory and funding bodies to report outcomes by sex, it is still treated as an afterthought in many trials and is rarely factored into baseline risk or used to personalise treatment decisions.”
Disparities and the Necessitate for Further Research
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis, a GP with interests in women’s and men’s health at the University of Melbourne, highlighted the significant disparity in results. “It’s really returning to that same conversation that we’ve uncovered, that there are sex differences in health needs and health outcomes,” she said. She also noted that the findings suggest men may be disadvantaged by a lack of research into sex-based differences in cancer.
However, Associate Professor Simonis cautioned that it is “a bit premature” to use biological sex as a definitive prognostic factor in oncology. She stressed the need for increased funding for sex-based and sex-differentiated research and clinical trials.
Variability Across Cancer Types
While the study showed a general trend of improved survival rates for women, the researchers acknowledged uncertainty in their results for some cancer types. In five cancer types, the confidence intervals in their analysis allowed for the possibility that the observed survival benefit for women was not statistically significant.
The researchers concluded that sex is a prognostic factor for cancer survival, but cautioned that variability across trials and tumor types warrants careful interpretation at the individual level. They emphasized the need to investigate the biological, behavioral, sociological, and treatment-related factors driving the disparity in outcomes between men and women.
Looking Ahead
Associate Professor Simonis agrees that further research is crucial. “It’s very interesting and it should make a lot of researchers very curious to further validate these findings,” she said.
This research underscores the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in cancer research and treatment, potentially leading to more personalized and effective care for both men and women.