“It is generally accepted that women have a more alert immune system, and that they are more reactive to vaccinations said Professor Peter Johnson, Chief Medical Officer of the UK Cancer Research Center (Cancer Research UK). But they also seem to be more resistant to certain forms of cancer.
A recent study published by the Cancer Research UK reveals that the death rate from malignant melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) is 70% higher in men than in women, despite a similar number of patients diagnosed.
The cause ? Testosterone which, in addition to being necessary for muscles, a beard, and a propensity to drive too fast and get into fights, also has the effect of weakening the immune system. Several years ago, researchers at the famous Mayo Clinic in the United States found that one way to boost the immune response in male mice was to drastically reduce their testosterone levels.
Lowering testosterone levels has also been shown to speed up the time it takes to rebuild the immune system after chemotherapy.
Another scientific study carried out two years ago at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States reveals that men are more likely to develop stomach cancer than women and that estrogen has a protective effect. Tests carried out on female mice showed that they lost their protection when their ovaries were removed, and scientists found that male mice given estrogen managed to develop resistance to the disease.
A large study conducted by Japanese researchers recently proved that although we all produce less B cells and T cells, key players in the immune system, as we age, the decline is faster in men than in women.
