The Influence of Sex And/or Gender on the Occurrence of Colorectal Cancer in the General Population in Developed Countries: A Scoping Review

Gender as the "sociocultural role of sex" is underrepresented in colorectal cancer incidence studies, potentially resulting in underestimated risk factors' consequences and inequalities men/women. We aim to explore how literature focusing on differences between men and women in the incidence of colorectal cancer interprets these differences: through sex- or gender-related mechanisms, or both? We conducted a scoping review using PubMed and Google Scholar. We categorized studies based on their definitions of sex and/or gender variables. We reviewed 99 studies, with 7 articles included in the analysis. All observed differences between men and women. Six articles examined colorectal cancer incidence by gender, but only 2 used the term "gender" to define exposure. One article defined its "sex" exposure variable as gender-related mechanisms, and two articles used "sex" and "gender" interchangeably to explain these inequalities. Gender mechanisms frequently manifest through health behaviors. Our results underscore the need for an explicit conceptual framework to disentangle sex and/or gender mechanisms in colorectal cancer incidence. Such understanding would contribute to the reduction and prevention of social health inequalities.