Research into sex differences in cancer has extended to gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), exploring how sex might influence disease-specific survival (DSS). A literature review incorporating sex as a variable in GIST survival analyses revealed that of the 118 articles that met selection criteria, 58% reported no sex difference in survival, while 42% identified a difference favoring female patients, though with considerable overlap in individual patient groups. Additionally, data from the Dutch GIST Registry, which included 1425 patients (46% female), was analyzed to compare GIST characteristics between males and females and assess the impact of sex on DSS.
The findings indicated that male patients typically presented with larger tumors, higher mitotic rates, more frequent metastasis at diagnosis, and higher rates of incurable GIST. Males were less likely to undergo surgery for the primary tumor and had more tumor ruptures compared to females. While male patients generally had worse DSS than females, this difference was not statistically significant after adjusting for variations in GIST characteristics. These results suggest that while literature indicates a trend of worse outcomes for male patients with GIST, sex itself is not an independent prognostic factor.
Reference: IJzerman NS, van Werkhoven E, Mohammadi M, et al. Sex differences in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours: do they exist and does it affect survival? ESMO Open. 2022;7(6):100649. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100649.
