Awareness and interest of oncology professionals in sex and gender differences in cancer risk and outcome: Analysis of an ESMO Gender Medicine Task Force survey

BackgroundInvestigating sex and gender differences is critical to improving patient outcomes. The ESMO Gender Medicine Task Force assessed the awareness of sex and gender differences and interest in education and training among oncology professionals.MethodsWe conducted an online, anonymous survey in November 2022. In addition to demographic information, we assessed awareness of the ESMO Gender Medicine Task Force's presence, knowledge of sex and gender differences in cancer isk and outcomes, and interest in education and training on these topics.ResultsWe analysed responses from 506 participants from 83 countries. Of these, 55.3% were women, 58.7% were from Europe, and 61.9% were working at a University hospital. 63.0% and 61.7% had previously heard about the concept of studying sex and gender differences in oncology and the ESMO Gender Medicine Task Force, respectively. Most participants knew that the body composition, especially fat free body mass, is sex and age-dependent (85.6%), drug dosing based on body surface area does not consider sex differences (61.7%), distribution of molecular subtypes of different tumour types is sex-related (59.3%), men are at greater risk for most cancer types (53.6%) and that clinical trials often only report the primary endpoint according to the sex of the patient but not secondary endpoints (52.8%). Fewer participants knew that sex hormones are important for the development of non-sex related cancer types (45.6%), various anticancer therapies are more toxic for women (38.5%), and that the sex of the donor and the receiver affects the outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (23.7%). Only 19.7% already studied sex and gender differences in their field, and 84.2% indicated that they would like more education on sex and gender differences in oncology. Overall, the level of agreement with the statements was comparable between men and women.ConclusionsThere are significant knowledge gaps among oncology professionals regarding the impact of sex and gender on cancer risk and outcomes. Most participants would like more education and training on the topic, which is in line with the ESMO Gender Medicine Task Force's mission.Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors.FundingHas not received any funding.DisclosureB.C. Özdemir: Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Roche, Ipsen, MSD, Pfizer, Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Merck, Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Reduction for registration fee for ASCO Gu: Janssen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Local PI: Parexel, Seattle Genetics, MSD. S. Oertelt-Prigione: Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Advisory role on sex differences in pharmacodynamics of a compound submitted to the EMA for evaluation.: Kyowa Kirin, Inc.; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, Speaker fee for presentation about gender harassment in academia.: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Member of the Expert Group: European Commission; Non-Financial Interests, Advisory Role, Expert Advisor for the Evaluation of Start Ups: ASTIA Inc.; Non-Financial Interests, Advisory Role, Support for Start Ups in the Netherlands: Rockstart NL. A.A. Adjei: Financial Interests, Institutional, Coordinating PI, funding for clinical trial: Vyriad; Non-Financial Interests, Advisory Role, uncompensated Advisory Board member: Merck AG, Cagent Pharmaceuticals; Non-Financial Interests, Advisory Role, uncompensated Chair of Advisors: Swiss Rockets; Non-Financial Interests, Principal Investigator, Clinical Trials: Kronos Bio; Non-Financial Interests, Principal Investigator, Climical Trials: BionTech, Bridge Bio; Other, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Thoracic Oncology and JTO CRR: International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. S. Borchmann: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Galapagos; Financial Interests, Personal, Ownership Interest: Liqomics GmbH; Non-Financial Interests, Member of Board of Directors: Liqomics GmbH. J.B.A.G. Haanen: Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Bristol Myers Squipp, Achilles Therapeutics, Ipsen, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Merck Serono, Pfizer, Molecular Partners, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Iovance Biotherapeutics, AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board, SAB member: BioNTech, Immunocore, Gadeta, Instil Bio, PokeAcel, T-Knife; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board, SAB member: Neogene Therapeutics, Scenic; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Third Rock Venture, CureVac, Imcyse; Financial Interests, Personal, Stocks/Shares: Neogene Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Bristol Myers Squibb, BioNTech US, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Amgen, Novartis, Asher Bio, Sastra Cell Therapy; Non-Financial Interests, Member: ASCO, AACR, SITC; Other, Editor-in-Chief IOTECH: ESMO; Other, Editorial Board ESMO Open: ESMO; Other, Editorial Board: Kidney Cancer. A. Letsch: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: BMS, Bayer, AstraZeneca, MSD, Incyte, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, Lilly, Expanda; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Tesaro, Pierre Fabre Pharma GmbH, AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, ASCO Support 2018: Servier; Financial Interests, Personal and Institutional, Research Grant: Novartis; Financial Interests, Personal and Institutional, Local PI: Novartis, Fosanis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Boehringer Ingelheim; Financial Interests, Institutional, Coordinating PI: Tired of Cancer BV.; Non-Financial Interests, Member of Board of Directors: German Society for Palliative Care (DGP), European Association of Palliative Care; Non-Financial Interests, Other, Working-Group Co-Leader: Tumor-Associated Fatigue, Individualized Medicine: German Society Hematology and Oncology (DGHO); Non-Financial Interests, Other, Member of several Certification Commissions in the German Certification Program: German Cancer Society (DKG). R.H.A. Verhoeven: Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board, Consultancy: Daiichi Sankyo; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Bristol Myers Squibb; Non-Financial Interests, Member of Board of Directors, The Dutch Upper-GI Cancer Group is the Dutch multidisciplinary research group regarding Upper-GI cancers.: Dutch Upper-GI Cancer Group; Non-Financial Interests, Member of Board of Directors: Internation Association of Cancer Registries. A.D. Wagner: Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Lilly, MSD, Merck, Servier, Pierre Fabre, Daiichi Sankyo, Astellas, BMS, DRAGONFLY; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Travel support for congress participation: Ipsen, AbbVie, Merck; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, travel support for congress participation: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant, I am coordinating investigator of EORTC 1203,: Roche. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.