Men are at greater risk of getting cancer than women, according to a new study.
For decades experts have been claiming men's drinking and smoking habits were the factors behind higher cancer rates, but the new report is putting it down to biology.
Researchers looked at 21 cancer types and found men had a higher incidence of most cancers studied, according to the study published in Cancer.
Dr Kate Gregory, from the Cancer Society, told AM on Tuesday questions remain on why there is a divide.
"It may just be because you are men, it may be a biological reason, it may be something to do with the sex hormones. Does having testosterone make you more likely to get cancer? Is it something to do with the fact you only have one X chromosome? Could there be something on the X chromosome? Is it something to do with the fact that women seem to generate a better immune response system to certain viruses that cause cancer, we just don't know," she told AM co-host Ryan Bridge.
"I think this has to be a priority area of research to try to find some answers to see if there is something here we can modify to modify the risk for men."
Watch the video.
