Men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced cancer

HealthDay News.— More men die of cancer than women, and a new study suggests a possible reason.

Men are more likely than women to be diagnosed with advanced cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, according to researchers in the July issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

That means their cancer is detected too late, when it is harder to treat and more likely to be fatal, according to the researchers.

“We know that, in general, men are more likely than women to die from many types of cancer. We also know that the stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis is a key predictor of cancer survival,” said lead researcher Beth Maclin, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, in a press release.

Between 2019 and 2023, there were about 172 cancer deaths per 100,000 men in the United States, compared to 126 cancer deaths per 100,000 women, according to researchers in background notes.

For the study, researchers analyzed 2.4 million cancer cases tracked by the NCI database between 2015 and 2022.

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The team analyzed regional cancers (spread to nearby lymph nodes) or distant cancers (spread to other organs), compared to localized cancers that had not spread beyond their site of origin.

Men were more likely than women to be diagnosed with 16 different regional cancers, including:

Tongue cancer (151% more likely) Salivary gland cancer (93%) Mouth and throat cancer (80%) Thyroid cancer (74%) Stomach cancer (67%)

Men were also more likely to be diagnosed with 17 different types of cancer at a distant stage, including:

Tongue cancer (134%) Thyroid cancer (128%) Salivary gland cancer (97%) Stomach cancer (56%) Melanoma (50%)

Only in a small number of cancer sites were men less likely than women to be diagnosed at advanced stages, including cancer of the voice box, bladder, anus, or liver.

“There are several possible explanations for why we found sex differences in most of the cancer centers we studied,” said Maclin. “One explanation could be the difference in the adoption of cancer screening at sites that can be detected through screening.

“It is also possible that there are differences in healthcare-seeking behaviors; existing research shows that women visit the doctor more than men, which could mean more opportunities for clinicians to detect cancer symptoms earlier, leading to more women receiving a diagnosis at a localized stage rather than at regional or distant stages,” she added.

“There is also the possibility that the way clinicians perceive cancer symptoms in men and women differs, leading to different types of diagnostic tests or treatment plans, which may accelerate or delay diagnosis,” added Maclin.

In any case, receiving regular medical care is essential to detect cancer at an earlier and more treatable stage, he said.

“My general message is that everyone should go to the doctor regularly,” said Maclin. “Do not delay in seeing the doctor if you notice that something has changed in your body.”

The National Cancer Institute has more information about cancer statistics.

SOURCE: American Association for Cancer Research, press release, July 6, 2026; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, July 1, 2026