For people with cancer, men are more likely to die

Men who are diagnosed with various types of cancer are more likely to die from it than women diagnosed with the same cancer. This is because women get an earlier diagnosis and seem to have lower risk for some kinds of the disease according to US government research.

The report was made by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) which looked at 36 different types of cancer diagnosed between 1977 and 2006. The highest male to female mortality rate ratio came with lip cancer where 5.5 men died for every woman. In second place was esophageal cancer where 4 men died for every woman.

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, took the lives of 2.3 men for every woman who fell to the disease.

Evidently, men are more at risk than women for developing any kind of cancer. The average lifetime chance that a man will get some kind of the disease is 1 in 13 compared to 1 in 16 for women, this is according to the American Cancer Society.

Men also have advanced cancer by the time it is initially diagnosed, unlike women who manage to get and early stage diagnosis which is more treatable.

The NCI said there is no reason for the root cause for rate disparity between sexes. Some indication can be found in the way that a tumor behaves differently in men and women, more frequent cancer screening for women and the presence of other diseases which medical treatment is sought and the regular well woman visit which brings more women into a doctor’s office more regularly.

Source: NCI, Reuters