July 13, 2011

Men are at higher risk than women of developing cancer within their lifetime, and a recent study shows they are also more likely to die from it. The analysis, published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, examined 36 types of cancer by gender, using almost 30 years of data, from 1977 and 2006. It found that for the vast majority of cancers, men have higher mortality rates than women, with the highest disparities for conditions such as lip, throat, and the rare hypopharyngeal cancer, which affects the area where the larynx and esophagus meet. Men were found to be about five times more likely to die from these diseases. Cancers with the highest mortality rates — such as leukemia and lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers — were also found to pose a greater risk of death for men. Men were found to be almost twice as likely than women to die from leukemia. Cancers of the colon and rectum, pancreas, and liver killed about one and a half to two times as many men as women in the U.S. over a 30-year period. In addition, lung cancer killed nearly two and a half times as many men during that time. The American Cancer Society estimates that men have about a 1 in 2 chance of developing cancer at some point in their lives, compared with women, who have a 1 in 3 chance. In general, women have earlier-stage cancers at diagnosis, though this isn't true for all types of cancer. It's not clear why there is a disparity, but men may be exposed to more carcinogens, have hormonal or metabolism differences, or be less protected from antioxidants than women.