Experts Call for Integrating Gender Perspectives to Enhance Cancer Treatment Outcomes in Spain
Experts urge Spain's health sector to integrate gender perspectives in cancer care to improve diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes amid rising cancer incidence.
- • Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Spain, with rising incidence linked to aging and lifestyle factors.
- • Gender differences affect cancer research, diagnosis, drug dosing, and treatment outcomes significantly.
- • Experts demand integrated gender perspective training in medical education and research institutions.
- • Artificial Intelligence risks amplifying gender biases in scientific data if not properly addressed.
Key details
On World Cancer Day, February 4, 2026, experts emphasized the critical need to incorporate gender perspectives in the research, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer to improve clinical outcomes and patient quality of life in Spain. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the country, accounting for 24.7% of deaths in 2022. With the incidence rising due to aging and lifestyle risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, poor diet, and inactivity, addressing sex and gender differences in cancer care has become increasingly important.
At a roundtable organized by the Equality Commission of the Cancer Research Center (CSIC-USAL-FICUS) in Salamanca, health specialists highlighted how gender differences significantly impact scientific research and clinical diagnosis. Elisa Chilet, Doctor in Public Health, cited mental health and cardiovascular accidents as examples where gender imbalance leads to underdiagnosis. She emphasized the dangers women face from drug dosage recommendations based mostly on male physiology, leading in some cases to excessive doses causing adverse effects such as heightened drowsiness, impairing activities like driving.
Dr. Amparo López Bernús advocated for integrating gender perspectives transversally across medical training and clinical case studies rather than treating them as an isolated topic. Mapi Muñoz Muñoz, from La Fe University Hospital, called for extending gender and health programs beyond academic settings into the broader population to promote informed health decisions. Additionally, Silvia Rueda Pascual warned that artificial intelligence, if not carefully managed, could perpetuate and amplify gender biases in scientific data and called for mandatory gender training in universities and research centers.
Meanwhile, the semFYC's Preventive Activities and Health Promotion Program (PAPPS) underscores a comprehensive cancer prevention strategy that includes primary prevention focused on lifestyle changes, secondary prevention for early detection through screening, and tertiary prevention to enhance survivors' quality of life. They also highlight quaternary prevention to avoid unnecessary medical interventions that may harm patients, with a focus on personalized risk stratification in primary care.
Together, these expert perspectives point to the urgent need for systemic changes in cancer research and healthcare delivery to better account for gender-specific factors—improving survival rates and quality of life for Spanish patients.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
