Elective Module
Date: 7 – 8 September 2027
Venue: Bern (participation in person or online)
Language: English
Registration single module: Registration
Fee: two-day module CHF 500, single-day booking CHF 280 (from November 2026: CHF 830 and CHF 430)
Credits
1 ECTS point two-day module
CME points applied for “Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Medizinische Onkologie”
CME points applied for “Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Chirurgie”
Content
Rationale for considering sex and gender in cancer prevention and treatment
- Sex differences in epidemiology of various cancers
- Sex and gender differences in carcinogen exposition (UV light, smoking, environmental carcinogens)
Sex chromosomes and their impact on cancer susceptibility
- Estrogens and their impact on cancer risk in females and males
- Endocrine disruptors
- Androgens and their impact on cancer risk in females and males
Impact of sex on systemic determinants of cancer development
- immunity
- tumor microenvironment
- cancer initiating cells
- metabolism
- microbiome
Clinical implications of sex and gender differences in cancer
- Sex differences in response and toxicity of anticancer therapies (cytotoxics, targeted therapies and immunotherapies)
- Sex differences in oncological surgery and radiotherapy outcomes
- Implications for clinical trial design and reporting of results
- Sex-specific drug dosing strategies
- Sex-specific cancer prevention efforts
Objectives
Participants
- have an overview on sex differences in oncology and the scientific, clinical and societal implications of sex differences for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- are familiar with the combined impact of sexual hormones and sex chromosomes on cancer susceptibility with a focus on intrinsic control of cancer initiating cell populations, tumor microenvironment and systemic determinants of cancer development.