Diabetes patients less likely to complete mammogram screenings, study finds

Tampa, FL: Research in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine revealed that diabetic women are less likely to complete a mammogram than those without diabetes. This was seen despite the fact that there is an increased incidence of breast cancer among diabetes patients. Factors attributable to low completion rates include lack of access to treatment centers, affordability, and patient education. 

Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer among women. Its early detection through mammogram screening can decrease the morbidity and mortality linked with the disease. However, for diabetic women, the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer are increased. 

Against the above backdrop, Mihir Patel, Moffit Cancer Center, Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Tampa, FL (KT), and colleagues primarily aimed to investigate the completion of mammogram orders placed in the primary care setting of US patients with and without diabetes. They also looked for identifying demographic factors associated with order completion.

"This data will be helpful in understanding the association between diabetes and breast cancer and for future intervention to ultimately help increase completion of screening orders and improve prognosis through early detection," Dr. Patel and his colleagues wrote in their study. 

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a retrospective examination and identified orders and completion of mammograms among patients with and without diabetes, 2015 to 2019, through the electronic health record. Diabetes and other factors were identified as predictors of completion. 

"Diabetes patients are significantly less likely to complete mammogram screenings (51.6%) versus patients without diabetes (55.3%), despite there being an increased incidence of breast cancer among patients with diabetes," the authors concluded.

"There is a need for research to identify strategies for promoting screening among diabetic women. We believe that primary care providers should address this issue by encouraging process improvement initiatives to increase the accessibility of cost-cognizant testing, educating patients, and addressing other self-identified barriers to increase mammogram completion," they suggested. 

Reference:

Mammogram Order Completion Rates Among Women with Diabetes Mihir Patel, Matthew Malak, Justin Swanson, Jennifer Costa, Kea Turner, Karim Hanna The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Jan 2022, 35 (1) 158-162; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.01.210239.