Women with diabetes often neglect cancer screening: study

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Recent studies have revealed that women with diabetes are less likely to undergo screening for breast cancer. Researchers suspect that because of the complexity involved in diabetes care, routine preventive care such as cancer screening is often neglected. (1) Claire Blume, a CDE with type 1 diabetes, says, “From personal experience, it is not always at the top of my list because I see the endocrinologist so frequently.”

An estimated 40,000 people die annually as a result of breast cancer. Breast cancer ranks second as a cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. Mammography can often detect breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more effective. On average, a mammogram will detect about 80 to ­90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms. (2) Breast cancer screening may be especially important in women with type 2 diabetes because evidence suggests that diabetes increases the risk of breast cancer and breast cancer mortality.

Despite recommendations, however, many women with diabetes are not being screened for breast cancer. The reasons are varied. Many of the women are less educated, are living in impoverished or rural areas, or don’t have a regular care provider. Socioeconomic and cultural barriers may render diabetic patients less likely to advocate for preventive care.

Ref and Read more: http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2011/08/20/7264/diabetes-and-mammograms/

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