The Influence of Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors on the Sex-Based Differences of the Immune Response to Melanoma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3201Keywords:
Melanoma, Immune System, Hormones, Sex-Based Differences, CancerAbstract
Melanoma is a highly mutagenic cancer that disproportionately affects men in comparison to women. Women have been found to be diagnosed less often than men (men are projected to be diagnosed 36.34% more cases), recover significantly better, and have a lower mortality rate (men have a projected mortality rate 84.8% higher than women) that is almost half that of men for cutaneous melanoma, which is melanoma of the skin (American Cancer Society, 2025). This paper reviews the underlying biological factors for these sex differences. It was found that these differences can be attributed to the influence of estrogen signaling on melanoma tumor cells as well as innate and adaptive immune compartments. Estrogen suppresses tumor proliferation and enhances the development and activity of the immune system. This could be part of why women have an advantage since estrogen is their primary sex hormone. Together, these findings display that estrogen pathways may be an effective target to treat melanoma patients. Further research is required to test this hypothesis and these findings highlight the importance of incorporating sex-based biology into future melanoma studies.
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