​Summary: Assessment of family history of cancer (FHC) mostly relies on self‐report. Authors’ goal was to find out whether there is a systematic gender difference in self‐reported FHC. Authors identified nine population‐based studies which provided statistics of FHC in men and women. Furthermore, authors analyzed data from several iterations of the U.S.‐based Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Findings: In the reviewed studies the odds of men reporting a FHC were lower compared with the odds of women with an average across all studies. Men described themselves as less familiar with their FHC and less confident answering questions regarding FHC. They were also less likely to discuss FHC with family members. Men —  at least in the U.S. and Europe — were consistently less likely to report FHC compared with women. Future research should investigate how the assessment of FHC can be improved to reduce these differences. Health care professionals should also consider the potential for biased reporting by gender when assessing FHC.

This study cites data from the 2005 and 2009 California Health Interview Surveys (CHIS). 

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• Journal Article: Gender Differences in Self‐Reported Family History of Cancer: A Review and Secondary Data Analysis