Diabetic Women Less Likely To Get Mammograms

According to a new study published in Diabetic Medicine, diabetic women who are already at a higher risk for breast cancer, are 14 percent less likely to have a yearly mammogram screening, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
"Our study found having diabetes posed a significant barrier to breast cancer screening even after considering a woman's socioeconomic status, a known contributor to disparities in care among women," said Lorraine Lipscombe, MD of Women's College Hospital.
Research was conducted at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Women's College Hospital in Canada. In this population-based study, researchers looked at the influence of diabetes and lower socioeconomic status on mammography rates in 504,288 women aged 50 to 69 years (188,759 with diabetes, 315,529 without diabetes).
They analyzed the likelihood of at least one screening in women with diabetes within a 36-month period, beginning January 1, 1999, their 50th birthday, or 2 years after a diabetes diagnosis- which ever variable occurred last. The results were compared to women the same age without diabetes during the same period, with adjustments made for socioeconomic status based on neighborhood income and other demographic and clinical variables.
Out of the 504,288 women, 321,564, or 63.8 percent had a mammogram. Women with diabetes were significantly less likely to have a mammogram, even after adjusting for socioeconomic status and other factors. Even those from the highest socioeconomic status were among those with the lowest mammography rates.
"Managing the demands of a chronic condition such as diabetes is challenging for many women, leaving other preventative actions, like screening for cancer, to fall by the wayside," Lipscombe said.
The findings also included that 61.1 percent of women who had a mammogram were screened through physician referral, and 38.9 percent were screened through the Ontario Breast Cancer Screening Program. No matter what service the women used, the rate of mammograms among diabetic women still remained significantly lower than their non-diabetic counterparts.
"Programs that offer incentives and reminders for cancer screenings or allow for self-referral may help to ensure all women are getting their mammograms when they need them the most," Lipscombe said.
Reference: Healio
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