Men and Women are Not Just From Different Planets: The Role of Sex-Based Differences in the Prevention of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
type: CreativeWork
description: There are over 3.5 million new diagnoses of skin cancer each year in more than 2 million patients, making skin cancer more prevalent than all other cancers. While the risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the more deadly type of non-melanoma skin cancer, is three times greater in men than women, the mechanisms that contribute to this disparity are unclear. Our previous studies showed that after equivalent, chronic ultraviolet light B (UVB) exposure, male mice had greater tumor multiplicity, burden, and grade compared to female mice. Additionally, our acute UVB studies revealed decreased antioxidant capacity and cutaneous inflammation in male mice, suggesting that topical antioxidant or anti-inflammatory agents may decrease tumor burden following chronic UVB exposure. In the current studies we examined the potential preventative effects of anti-inflammatory (diclofenac) and antioxidant (C E Ferulic and vitamin E) agents on UVB-induced carcinogenesis in male and female mice. Our results demonstrated that despite observed sex differences in the inflammatory response, prolonged topical diclofenac treatment of chronically UVB-damaged skin effectively reduced tumor multiplicity in both sexes. Unexpectedly, tumor burden was significantly decreased only in male mice. Further, our data demonstrated that topical C E Ferulic treatment effectively reduced tumor number and burden in both sexes. While topical vitamin E treatment provided moderate therapeutic benefits in male mice, it provided no preventative benefits for female mice, and in fact, resulted in accelerated tumor growth rate compared to vehicle-treated female mice. In addition, we sought to investigate the efficacy of diclofenac, C E Ferulic, and vitamin E treatments in our model where UVB exposure was continued throughout the study. Our results demonstrated that both male and female mice that were exposed to 25 weeks of UVB developed more tumors, larger tumors, and a higher percentage of malignant tu…
abstract: There are over 3.5 million new diagnoses of skin cancer each year in more than 2 million patients, making skin cancer more prevalent than all other cancers. While the risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the more deadly type of non-melanoma skin cancer, is three times greater in men than women, the mechanisms that contribute to this disparity are unclear. Our previous studies showed that after equivalent, chronic ultraviolet light B (UVB) exposure, male mice had greater tumor multiplicity, burden, and grade compared to female mice. Additionally, our acute UVB studies revealed decreased antioxidant capacity and cutaneous inflammation in male mice, suggesting that topical antioxidant or anti-inflammatory agents may decrease tumor burden following chronic UVB exposure. In the current studies we examined the potential preventative effects of anti-inflammatory (diclofenac) and antioxidant (C E Ferulic and vitamin E) agents on UVB-induced carcinogenesis in male and female mice. Our results demonstrated that despite observed sex differences in the inflammatory response, prolonged topical diclofenac treatment of chronically UVB-damaged skin effectively reduced tumor multiplicity in both sexes. Unexpectedly, tumor burden was significantly decreased only in male mice. Further, our data demonstrated that topical C E Ferulic treatment effectively reduced tumor number and burden in both sexes. While topical vitamin E treatment provided moderate therapeutic benefits in male mice, it provided no preventative benefits for female mice, and in fact, resulted in accelerated tumor growth rate compared to vehicle-treated female mice. In addition, we sought to investigate the efficacy of diclofenac, C E Ferulic, and vitamin E treatments in our model where UVB exposure was continued throughout the study. Our results demonstrated that both male and female mice that were exposed to 25 weeks of UVB developed more tumors, larger tumors, and a higher percentage of malignant tu…
author: Burns, Erin Marie
language: English
keywords: Biomedical Research, Pathology, Molecular Biology, murine, skin, sex, gender, UVB, SCC, NSAID, COX-2, antioxidants
date published: 2013-07-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:37:01Z
provider: OhioLINK
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Ohio State University