Why Cancer Incidence Rates Are Up to 10 Times Higher in Men Than in Women

Biological Differences Lead to Male Cancer Incidence 1.3 to 10.8 Times Higher Than Females
Esophageal, Laryngeal, Stomach, and Bladder Cancers in Order

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[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] A study has found that the incidence of cancer is higher in men than in women due to biological differences.

According to recent reports from major foreign media such as UPI, Dr. Sarah Jackson's research team at the Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Laboratory under the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) analyzed data from the "Dietary Health Study" conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), involving over 290,000 participants, and reported these findings.

The research team conducted a study on 294,100 men and women aged 50 to 71, comparing and analyzing the sex-specific incidence rates of cancers occurring in body parts other than reproductive organs.

As a result, men showed higher incidence rates than women for all cancers except for two types: thyroid cancer and gallbladder cancer. In men, the incidence rate of esophageal cancer was 10.8 times higher than in women, followed by laryngeal cancer (3.53 times), gastric cardia cancer (3.49 times), and bladder cancer (3.33 times). Incidence rates of liver cancer, bile duct cancer, skin cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and lung cancer were also higher in men than in women.

The research team analyzed how differences between men and women in behaviors that can increase cancer risk, such as smoking and drinking, as well as past medical history, physical activity, and lifestyle, influence cancer incidence. These factors accounted for about 50% of lung cancer cases, showing a significant impact, but only about 11% for esophageal cancer, indicating a lesser effect.

The team stated, "The higher cancer incidence in men compared to women may suggest that the cause is inherently biological differences rather than differences in lifestyle between the sexes."

They added that understanding the reasons for the significant sex differences in cancer incidence could also help improve cancer prevention and treatment.

The study results were published in the latest issue of the American Cancer Society's academic journal, Cancer.