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Review
. 2023 Dec 31;16(1):201.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16010201.

Gender Differences in Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma: A Narrative Review

Ilaria Cosci  1 , Paolo Del Fiore  2 , Simone Mocellin  2   3 , Alberto Ferlin  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Gender Differences in Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma: A Narrative Review

Ilaria Cosci et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Sarcomas, uncommon malignancies, stem from mesenchymal tissues, distinct from epithelial tissues, originating in the embryonic mesodermal layer. These sarcomas have been categorized as either bone or soft tissue sarcomas, depending on their originating tissue. The majority of sarcomas occur sporadically with their etiology being unknown, but there are several, well-established genetic predisposition syndromes and some environmental exposures associated with specific sarcomas. Recently, many studies have shown that sarcomas, in analogy with colorectal, skin, head and neck, esophageal, lung, and liver carcinomas, also have a male sex predilection. Significant gender differences have already been observed in childhood sarcomas. Among the tumors strongly associated with the male sex, childhood sarcomas have been identified as being particularly sensitive to the biological differences between the sexes, with special regard to soft tissue sarcomas. As the biological mechanisms underlying the sex differences in the incidence of soft tissue sarcomas remain largely unexplored, this review aims to highlight the factors underlying these differences to inform prevention and treatment.

Keywords: gender differences; sarcoma; soft tissue cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The most common soft tissue sarcomas.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The most common bone sarcomas.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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