In a study published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute, researchers have identified a key biological mechanism that puts men at a higher risk of cancer than women. The finding is expected to lead to more personalised line of treatment and prevention for both gender.

According to the research, the higher risk of cancer in men could be due to the loss of function in certain genes of the sex-determining Y Chromosome, which is present only in men. Using data from 9,000 individuals, the researchers studied the function of genes present in the Y-chromosome in patients with various types of cancer.

It revealed that the risk for several types of cancer increases with the loss of function of six key Y-chromosomes genes in various types of cells. Y-chromosome genes play a role in the regulation of cell replication, the failure of which leads to cancer development.