Almost every type of cancer affects men more than women. And overall, more women survive a cancer diagnosis. Men also develop about 150,000 extra cancers per year in the US, compared to women.
Why is that?
Because biology.
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We used to think that the reason for female cancer 'resistance' was behaviorally based because: women see their doctor more often and drink less alcohol etc.
Why are 95% of 'supercentenarians' (those who are 110 years of age and beyond) women?
Because biological sex.
And so, a short thread on sex and longevity.
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From the beginning of life more girls make it their first birthday almost everywhere around the world, according to the @WHO. Girls have lower rates of prematurity and fewer complications after birth.
Females don't wait long to begin to dominate when it comes to survival.
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Women are naturally resistant to cancer.
Throughout life, women not only develop less cancers in organs and tissues that they share with men, but even when they do, they're much more likely to survive them.
Note: this is the case even when we adjust for behavior.
The evolutionary arms race will never really end between microbes and humans. They (microbes) have as much to lose as we do if it does.
Microbes are responsible for some of the most profound differences between humans which we can still observe even today. This has been true since the first human.
Some humans are born able to naturally resist HIV. This is thanks to them inheriting a small but significant genetic change - CCR5 delta 32.
It is an unwritten law of biology that human males are much more fragile and lack the stamina and resilience in the face of biological challenges such as cancer and infections.
Notwithstanding their greater muscle mass and physical strength, males are the XY heterogametic genetically weaker sex
The cost that XX females pay for their immunological vigor is a much higher preponderance towards developing autoimmunity.