ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND
Diabetes increases the risk of breast and colorectal cancers and has an undetermined relationship to cervical cancer. Improved screenings for these cancers are effective in reducing cancer mortality.
OBJECTIVES
To examine the prevalence of receiving recommended screenings for these cancers and to assess the trends in the screening rates over time among US women with diagnosed diabetes in comparison with women without diabetes.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 63,650 to 182,168 adult women participated in the 1996−2006 (biennially) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
METHODS
The prevalence of receiving cancer screenings was age-standardized to the 2000 US population. The adjusted prevalence and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression analyses. The linear trends in the screening rates were tested using orthogonal polynomial contrasts.
RESULTS
In 2006, women with diabetes had a lower adjusted prevalence (74% versus 79%, P < 0.05) and the AOR (0.73, 95% CI: 0.66−0.81) for receiving cervical cancer screenings, but had a higher adjusted prevalence (63% versus 60%, P < 0.05) and the AOR (1.14, 95% CI: 1.04−1.24) for receiving colorectal cancer screenings compared to those without. In both women with diabetes and those without, the screening rate for colorectal cancer increased linearly during 2002−2006, whereas the screening rates for breast and cervical cancers changed little during 1996−2006.
CONCLUSION
Women with diabetes were equally likely to be screened for breast cancer, less likely to be screened for cervical cancer, but more likely to be screened for colorectal cancer compared to those without. Overall, the screening rates in both groups remain below the recommended levels.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr. Mary White from the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for reviewing the manuscript and providing useful comments.
The abstract was presented in the 68th American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Session, June 6-10, 2008 in San Francisco, CA.
Conflict of Interest
None disclosed.
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The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Zhao, G., Ford, E.S., Ahluwalia, I.B. et al. Prevalence and Trends of Receipt of Cancer Screenings Among US Women with Diagnosed Diabetes. J GEN INTERN MED 24, 270–275 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0858-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0858-8