Table 1.
Countable factors that have different effects on CRC in male and female CRC patients.
| Factors of Differences in CRC | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Incidence rate | High throughout life [28] | High at ≥65 years [19] |
| Mortality | More [18] | Less [18] |
| Willingness for screening tests | Less [14] | More [14] |
| CRC diagnosis stage | Stage I [14] | Stage II [14] |
| Survival advantage | High risk throughout life [28] | Low risk until 64 years for colon cancer and 74 years for rectal cancer [28] |
| Site of CRC | Distal colon [30] | Proximal colon [30] |
| Metastatic CRC | More likely to develop metastatic colon cancer [28] | More likely to develop metastatic rectal cancer [28] |
| Toxicity of commonly used anti-cancer drugs | Lower [31] | Higher [31] |
| Fiber intake | Lower [37] | Higher [37] |
| Sedentary lifestyle | Lower [37] | Higher [37] |
| Meat intake | Higher [14] | Lower [14] |
| Alcohol intake | Higher [14] | Lower [14] |
| Amount of alcohol consumption increases CRC risk | 0.1–29 g/day [45] | >30 g/day [45] |
| Prevalence of smoking | Higher [46] | Lower [46] |
| Prevalence of obesity | Lower [47] | Higher [47] |
| Obesity-induced CRC risk | Higher [42] | Lower [42] |
| Fat distribution | Abdominal region [48] | Thighs, hips, and buttocks [48] |
| Fat deposition | Visceral adipose tissue [47] | Subcutaneous adipose tissue [47] |
| Leptin SNPs LEP rs2167270 and LEP rs4731426 | No effect [49] | Increases risk, independent of obesity, only in females [49] |
| Adiponectin SNP ADIPOQ rs17366743 | Increases risk of obesity in males and thus CRC risk [49] | No effect [49] |
| Risk of CRC when CRP-1 levels are elevated | Higher [50] | Lower [50] |
| Gene variants of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme increase cancer risk | ADH1B rs4147536 SNP increases the risk of distal colon cancer [45] | ADH1C rs283415 SNP increases the risk of proximal colon cancer [45] |
| Microbial community in the gut | More stable [39] | Less stable [39] |
| Mutations/epigenetics | Mutations in APC and TP53 [51] | Hypermethylation, MSI, and CIMP, and mutations in BRAF and KRAS [14] |
A combination of various keywords was used to study sex-dependent differences in CRC. Countable factors with different effects based on the sex of CRC patients are listed in the table.