Men are almost 40% more likely than women to die from cancer in the UK and 16% more likely to get the disease in the first place.
After excluding breast cancer and cancers specific to one or other sex from the analysis, the difference is even greater – with men being almost 70% more likely to die from cancer and over 60% more likely to develop the disease. This is not a gender gap but a gender chasm.
The hard-hitting report published during Men's Health Week last month by the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) and Cancer Research UK, was backed by the Men’s Health Forum England.
More surprisingly too, the researchers also excluded lung cancer because the main risk factor for the disease - smoking - is known to be more common in men.
Experts suggest that a possible explanation for the differences seen for some types of cancer could be down to stereotypical male behaviour – like down playing important early symptoms and having an unhealthy lifestyle.
