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- Title
Advances in sex disparities for cancer immunotherapy: unveiling the dilemma of Yin and Yang.
- Authors
Ma, Junfu; Yao, Yanxin; Tian, Ye; Chen, Kexin; Liu, Ben
- Abstract
A wide sex disparity has been demonstrated in cancer incidence, tumor aggressiveness, prognosis, and treatment response of different types of cancer. The sex specificity of cancer appears to be a relevant issue in managing the disease, and studies investigating the role of sex and gender are becoming extremely urgent. Immunotherapy plays a leading role in cancer treatment, offering a new perspective on advanced malignancies. Gender has not been considered in standard cancer treatment, suggesting increasing the recognition of sex differences in cancer research and clinical management. This paper provides an overview of sex and gender disparities in cancer immunotherapy efficacy, anti-cancer immune response, predictive biomarkers, and so on. We focus on the molecular differences between male and female patients across a broad range of cancer types to arouse the attention and practice of clinicians and researchers in a sex perspective of new cancer treatment strategies. Highlights: Sex differences exist in the prevalence, tumor invasiveness, treatment responses, and clinical outcomes of pan-cancer, suggesting that, while not yet incorporated, sex will probably be considered in future practice guidelines. Inherent genetic differences, overlapping epigenetic alterations, and sex hormone influences underpin everything. Androgen receptors influence the sexual differences in TME by regulating epigenetic and transcriptional differentiation programs. It highlights a sex-based therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. Proper consideration of sex, age, sex hormones/menopause status, and socio-cultural gender differences in clinical investigation and gene association studies of cancer are needed to fill current gaps and implement precision medicine for patients with cancer.
- Subjects
GENDER; PATIENTS; IMMUNOTHERAPY; GENDER inequality; CANCER treatment; CLIMACTERIC
- Publication
Biology of Sex Differences, 2022, Vol 13, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2042-6410
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s13293-022-00469-5