Molecular basis of sex differences in cancer: Perspective from Asia
Eric David Ornos,
Leslie Faye Cando,
Charlene Divine Catral,
Elgin Paul Quebral,
Ourlad Alzeus Tantengco,
Ma. Veronica Pia Arevalo,
Edward Christopher Dee
Affiliations
Eric David Ornos
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines; College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines; Corresponding author
Leslie Faye Cando
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines
Charlene Divine Catral
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines
Elgin Paul Quebral
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines; Virology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines; Hawaii Center for AIDS, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Ourlad Alzeus Tantengco
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines; Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila 1000, Philippines; Department of Biology, College of Science, De La Salle University, Manila 0922, Philippines
Ma. Veronica Pia Arevalo
College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, 1000, Philippines
Edward Christopher Dee
Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10028, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Cancer is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Sex differences in cancer are evident in death rates and treatment responses in several cancers. Asian patients have unique cancer epidemiology influenced by their genetic ancestry and sociocultural factors in the region. In this review, we show molecular associations that potentially mediate sex disparities observed in cancer in Asian populations. Differences in sex characteristics are evident at the cytogenetic, genetic, and epigenetic levels mediating processes that include cell cycle, oncogenesis, and metastasis. Larger clinical and in vitro studies that explore mechanisms can confirm the associations of these molecular markers. In-depth studies of these markers can reveal their importance as diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutic efficacy markers. Sex differences should be considered in designing novel cancer therapeutics in this era of precision medicine.
