Cancer disrupts sex hormone-inflammation relationships: Analysis of ALI in males from NHANES 2007–2018

This study systematically reveals for the first time the association between male sex hormone levels and ALI and the moderating effect of cancer status. The negative correlation between testosterone and ALI and the positive correlation between estradiol and ALI are significant in non-cancer populations but generally absent in cancer patients, suggesting that cancer may profoundly alter the relationship between sex hormones and inflammation. These findings suggest cancer may fundamentally alter sex hormone-inflammation relationships, providing new insights into hormone-mediated inflammatory regulation in health and disease.