There is a large gap between the aspiration of considering sex as biological variable and the execution of such studies, particularly in genomic studies of human cancer. This represents a lost opportunity to identify sex-specific molecular etiologies that may underpin the dramatic sex differences in cancer incidence and outcome. There are conceptual and practical challenges associated with considering sex as a biological variable, including the definition of sex itself and the need for novel study designs. A better understanding of cancer mechanisms, resulting in improved outcomes, will reward the effort invested in incorporating sex as a biological variable.

中文翻译：

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当性别作为生物变量时，癌症出现的新机制。

将性别视为生物学变量的愿望与进行此类研究（尤其是在人类癌症的基因组研究中）之间存在很大差距。这代表了失去机会来确定可能支持癌症发病率和预后方面巨大的性别差异的性别特异性分子病因。将性别视为生物变量存在一些概念上和实践上的挑战，包括性别本身的定义以及对新颖研究设计的需求。更好地了解癌症机制，从而改善预后，将有助于将性别作为一种生物学变量投入的努力。