After Cancer, Women More Likely to Report This Than Men

Women who struggle to get back to their old selves after cancer aren't alone. Female cancer survivors are significantly more likely than male counterparts to suffer fatigue and depression, according to new research. Dr. Simo Du, a resident physician at New York City's Jacobi Medical Center, first noticed more women cancer survivors than men in her clinic were complaining of fatigue that made it difficult to complete simple tasks, then set out to explore if there was a wider trend, analyzing survey responses from 1,555 adult cancer survivors. Her research, not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, shows women are 69% more likely to report cancer-related fatigue than men, and 58% more likely to report cancer-related depression, per NBC News.

It could come down to sex-related hormone differences. Even without a cancer diagnosis, women are more likely than men to report fatigue and depression. But women are also more likely to develop cancers that are treated with hormone therapies that can fuel fatigue and depression, tend to have stronger immune responses to treatments, and take longer than men to clear drugs from their system, researchers say. Social gender norms could factor in, too, as women may feel added stress in a typical role as caretaker after cancer. Male cancer survivors may similarly suffer under the typical role as breadwinner, Du says.

While the research presented Tuesday at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in Chicago showed that women were more likely than men to report depression, men were more likely to have thoughts "that they would be better off dead," Du tells NBC, speculating that the pressure to fulfill gender roles can feel overwhelming after cancer. The good news is that, among all cancer survivors, moderate physical activity was linked to a 50% lower risk of cancer-related fatigue, and moderate and vigorous activity was associated with a two- to fivefold decrease in depression risk, per NBC. However, individuals reporting cancer-related fatigue and depression were much more likely to limit their time engaged in physical activity. (More cancer survivor stories.)