There has been news of an added concern for women suffering from diabetes which is the finding of an association with an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. Women’s College Hospital reported, that women with diabetes are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer.
This study which showed diabetes is associated with more advanced stage breast cancer was done by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women’s College Hospital. This study has confirmed a strong link between diabetes and later stage breast cancer at the time of diagnosis for Canadian women. Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe, who is a scientist at ICES and Women’s College Research Institute, says these findings suggest that women suffering from diabetes may have a predisposition to more advanced stage breast cancer. This may be a significant contributor to their higher cancer mortality.
The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment has published this study. In this study breast cancer patients with diabetes were markedly more likely to present with advanced stage breast cancer than those patients without diabetes. Among women with diabetes there was a 14 per cent greater likelihood of presenting with Stage II breast cancer, 21 per cent more likelihood to present with Stage III breast cancer, and 16 per cent more likelihood of presenting with Stage IV than to present with Stage I.
It was observed that there were lower mammogram rates in women suffering from diabetes, which could account for later stage disease. Among women suffering from diabetes there was also an increased risk of lymph node metastases and larger tumors than women without diabetes. The risk of advanced stage breast cancer was found to be greatest in younger women and those with longer-standing diabetes. It has been suggested by the researchers that breast cancer screening and detection practices may need to be modified in patients suffering from diabetes in order to decrease the chances of later stage detection.
