Cancer biology increasingly recognizes the profound impact of sex-specific factors in shaping tumor development, progression, and therapeutic outcomes. While certain cancers, such as those of the breast, ovary, prostate, and testes, are inherently linked to biological sex, their distinct incidence and behaviors stem from complex interactions among hormonal environments, genetic and epigenetic regulation, and differences in immune and metabolic pathways. Recent research highlights the pivotal roles of estrogens, progesterone, and androgens—not just in normal physiology but also in orchestrating malignant transformation and tumor microenvironment dynamics. Despite significant advances, there remains a vital need to address gaps in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive sex-specific cancer phenotypes, particularly as new multi-omics and single-cell technologies unveil previously obscured heterogeneity.
The primary aim of this Research Topic is to systematically unravel the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying sex-specific tumorigenesis, with a special focus on cancers that arise in a sex-dependent manner, such as breast, ovarian, prostate, and testicular cancer. By synthesizing insights from molecular, cellular, and clinical studies, we intend to delineate how sex hormones, chromosomal factors, and sex-driven regulatory programs interconnect to modulate tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic responsiveness. This topic further seeks to encourage the adoption of multi-omics and high-resolution single-cell platforms to uncover sex-specific cellular states, regulatory circuits, and tumor microenvironmental features, ultimately aiming to inform the development of precision, sex-informed diagnostic and treatment strategies in oncology.
This Research Topic broadly covers experimental, computational, translational, and clinical studies that address the biology of sex-specific cancers and their underlying regulatory programs. It is primarily limited to malignancies with established sex-dependent etiologies, with an emphasis on mechanistic and integrative approaches. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
o Hormonal regulation of tumor initiation, progression, and treatment response
o Sex chromosome–associated genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in cancer
o Sex-specific immune and metabolic pathways impacting tumor biology
o Tumor microenvironmental distinctions in sex-specific cancers
o Multi-omics, single-cell, and spatial approaches to dissect tumor heterogeneity
o Integrative analyses linking molecular mechanisms to clinical outcomes and patient stratification
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: Sex differences, Hormonal regulation, Tumor microenvironment, Multi-omics, Single-cell sequencing, Spatial transcriptomics, Breast cancer, Ovarian cancer, Prostate cancer, Testicular cancer
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
