Female susceptibility to cancer and other diseases as indicated by british and european mortality rates

Abstract

Death rates from a small proportion of the causes in the International Classification are higher among women than among men at the same ages, and the amount of female susceptibility and the ages at which it is present in England and Wales and other countries is investigated for such causes by means of the sex-ratios. In the 24 groups of causes involved are four sites of cancer (excluding the breast and organs peculiar to females), namely the thyroid, biliary passages, intestine other than rectum and melanoma of the skin, and for the first two of these the sex-ratios are compared with those for other diseases of the same organs. Geographical differences are pronounced for cancers of the thyroid, biliary passages and intestine, and also for diabetes. For some of the causes of death extrinsic factors or childbearing can account for the greater susceptibility of women but for most of the others it is concluded that differences in genetic control emanating from the extra X-chromosomes probably account for greater vulnerability of females to disease in certain tissues such as the thyroid glands and the gall bladder. © 1969, The British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research. All rights reserved.