A large US population-based analysis suggests men are significantly more likely than women to be diagnosed with later-stage disease across many nonreproductive solid tumors, a finding that may help explain persistent sex differences in cancer mortality.
The study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, an AACR journal, examined 2,401,772 cancer cases diagnosed between 2015 and 2022 using data from the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 21 database.
Researchers assessed 30 nonreproductive solid tumor types and compared stage at diagnosis between men and women, adjusting for age and year of diagnosis.
Higher odds of regional and metastatic disease in men
Across 16 cancer sites, men were more likely than women to be diagnosed at a regional stage compared with localized disease. The largest disparities were observed in cancers of the tongue, salivary gland, oropharynx, thyroid, and stomach. For example, men had 151% higher odds of regional tongue cancer and 93% higher odds of regional salivary gland cancer compared with women.
For distant-stage disease, similar patterns emerged.
Men were significantly more likely than women to be diagnosed with metastatic cancer at 17 sites, including melanoma and cancers of the tongue, thyroid, salivary gland, and stomach. Notable differences included 134% higher odds of distant tongue cancer and 128% higher odds of distant thyroid cancer in men.
A smaller number of sites showed the opposite pattern.
Men were less likely than women to be diagnosed at later stages for certain cancers, including bladder and laryngeal cancers.
Potential drivers of diagnostic disparities
Lead author Beth Maclin, PhD, MPH, of the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, noted that multiple factors may contribute to these differences. These include variation in screening uptake, differences in healthcare-seeking behavior, and potential sex-based differences in clinical recognition or diagnostic pathways.
“Women go to the doctor more than men, which could mean more opportunities for clinicians to catch cancer symptoms earlier,” Maclin said, suggesting earlier diagnosis may contribute to stage differences.
Public health implications
The study found consistent patterns across racial/ethnic groups and income levels, suggesting broad population-level trends. Researchers emphasized that earlier detection and regular engagement with health care services remain key strategies to reduce late-stage diagnosis and improve survival outcomes.
Study limitations included missing staging data for some cancer types, lack of insurance information, and use of SEER staging, which is less detailed than TNM classification.
The research was supported by the NIH Intramural Research Program, with no conflicts of interest reported.
Note: This news summary was generated by AI based on a published press release from the American Association for Cancer Research, followed by a review from human editors.
