Gender Differences May Play A Part In The Diagnosis Of Esophageal Cancer

Main Category: Ear, Nose and Throat
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 14 Jun 2006 - 0:00 PDT


Research has found that although treated similarly, four times more men than women are affected by localized, advanced-stage esophageal cancer. This study - co-authored by Dr. Jaffer Ajani from the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston USA - is published by Blackwell Publishing in the June 2006 issue of the Diseases Of The Esophagus, for the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

Dr. Ajani and his team set out to identify gender-dependent differences in presentation at baseline and therapy outcome in esophageal carcinoma patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CTRT).

The 235 patients who underwent preoperative CTRT were trailed according to gender and then statistically compared at pre-treatment clinical stages. Examining the post-CTRT effect on carcinoma in the resected specimen, overall survival (OS) and patterns of failure were studied.

Basing their initial hypothesis on a review of the scarce literature and published reports, the findings disproved the researchers' expectations of no correlation between gender and the experimental variables.

The reasons for these differences remain unclear - although this may well be linked to lifestyle and biological differences. It can be suggested that men may need a more aggressive or specific form of therapy than women.

Said Dr. Ajani, "This intriguing and obvious trend in clinical presentation, response to CTRT, and disease progression between men and women with esophageal cancer; should hopefully trigger further investigations in the field to establish a greater understanding of the differences in molecular biology and patient genetics."

Diseases of the Esophagus

Diseases of the Esophagus is an Official Journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE), which was founded in 1979 as a membership-supported society. This international Journal covers all aspects of the esophagus - etiology, investigation and diagnosis, and both medical and surgical treatment. The Journal includes primary research papers, short reports, commissioned review articles, correspondence, book and equipment reviews, annotated abstracts and announcements of meetings.

About Blackwell Publishing

Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with 665 academic and professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 800 journals and, to date has published close to 6,000 books, across a wide range of academic, medical, and professional subjects. The company remains independent with 950 staff members in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Denmark, Singapore, Germany, and Japan. Blackwell's mission as an expert publisher is to create long-term partnerships with clients to enhance learning, disseminate research, and improve the quality of professional practice.

For more information on Blackwell Publishing, please visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://www.blackwell-synergy.com.

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