WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study has found that men are much more likely than women to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage, when the disease has already spread and is harder to treat.
'It is important to better understand how stage may differ between sexes as a way to explain sex differences in cancer mortality and to identify potential intervention points to improve cancer survival for everyone,' lead author Dr. Beth Maclin said.
The study, presented by researchers from the National Cancer Institute and published by the American Association for Cancer Research, analyzed data from more than 2.4 million cancer patients in the United States. Using information from the NCI's SEER database collected between 2015 and 2022, the researchers compared the stage at diagnosis for 30 different types of cancer in men and women.
The researchers found that men were more likely than women to be diagnosed at a later stage for 20 types of non-reproductive cancers. For 16 cancer types, men were significantly more likely to be diagnosed after the cancer had spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes rather than being detected early. The biggest differences were seen in salivary gland, oropharyngeal (throat), thyroid, and stomach cancers. Compared with women, men were 151% more likely to be diagnosed with regional tongue cancer, 93% more likely with regional salivary gland cancer, 80% more likely with regional oropharyngeal cancer, 74% more likely with regional thyroid cancer, and 67% more likely with regional stomach cancer.
The study also found that men were more likely to be diagnosed only after the cancer had spread to distant parts of the body for 17 cancer types. The largest differences were seen in melanoma and cancers of the tongue, thyroid, salivary gland, and stomach. Compared with women, men had 134% higher odds of being diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer, 128% higher odds for advanced thyroid cancer, 97% higher odds for advanced salivary gland cancer, 56% higher odds for advanced stomach cancer, and 50% higher odds for advanced melanoma.
'One explanation could be differences in cancer screening uptake for sites that can be detected through screening. It is also possible that there are differences in health care-seeking behaviors; existing research shows that women go to the doctor more than men, which could mean more opportunities for clinicians to catch cancer symptoms earlier, thus leading more women to get diagnosed at the localized stage instead of regional or distant stages,' Dr. Maclin said.
'There is also the possibility that the way clinicians perceive cancer symptoms in males and females differ, leading to different types of diagnostic tests or treatment plans, which can either hasten or delay cancer diagnosis.'
However, the researchers also found a few exceptions. Men were less likely than women to be diagnosed at a later stage for some cancers. Those with laryngeal (voice box) or bladder cancer were less likely to be diagnosed after the disease had spread to nearby areas. Men were also less likely than women to be diagnosed with advanced bladder, anal, or liver cancer that had spread to distant parts of the body.
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