Sex-specific differences of special tumor diseases

Background: Numerous data show that sex and gender have gained increasing importance in precision medicine as relevant modulators of specific oncological and hematological diseases. The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the current state of knowledge on sex differences in the incidence and outcome of specific malignancies and to further elucidate possible underlying causes.Material and methods: Evaluation and discussion of basic research studies, meta analyses, and clinical trials.Results: There are significant sex-specific differences in the incidence, response rates, and mortality for a variety of oncological diseases. For the most part, men have poorer outcomes, whereas women have higher treatment-associated toxicities and distinct presentations at younger ages. Hormonal, immunological, and pharmacological causes are suspected.Conclusion: Advanced patient-individualized treatment in oncology and hematology will be measured in the future by the implementation of the existing relevant sex differences in the clinical practice and further investigations on underlying mechanisms in studies in order to guarantee and to optimize the best possible treatment for oncological patients in the future.

Automated summary

This article provides a summary of the current state of knowledge on sex differences in the incidence and outcome of specific malignancies, and explores possible underlying causes. Significant sex-specific differences are found in the incidence, response rates, and mortality for various oncological diseases. The implementation of these sex differences in clinical practice and further investigations on underlying mechanisms will contribute to advanced patient-individualized treatment and optimized outcomes for oncological patients in the future.