Moving ahead in diabetics' cancer screening; food for thought from the Hellenic experience

I Karathanasi1, K Kamposioras, I Cortinovis

  • 1Department Of Endocrinology, Polykliniki General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Insights

Diabetic women show lower cancer screening rates, particularly for gynecological cancers. Diabetic men have higher prostate cancer screening, but both groups neglect skin exams, highlighting a need for improved cancer screening in primary care.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Public Health
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Diabetic individuals often have suboptimal screening for gynecological cancers.
  • Limited data exists on comprehensive cancer screening practices for diabetics across genders.
  • Understanding screening disparities is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare cancer screening practices between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals.
  • To analyze screening patterns by gender and identify at-risk subgroups.
  • To inform primary care strategies for presymptomatic cancer control.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study (PACMeR 02) involving 675 diabetics and 5772 non-diabetics in Greece.
  • Comparison of evidence-based cancer screening test utilization between groups.
  • Stratified analysis by gender, age, education, and occupation.

Main Results:

  • Diabetic women exhibited significantly lower screening rates for sex-specific tests and digital rectal examination (DRE) compared to non-diabetics.
  • Older diabetic women (over 60), with elementary education, housewives, and farmers showed the lowest screening performance.
  • Diabetic men had higher rates of prostate cancer screening (ultrasound, DRE); however, both genders reported low skin examination rates.
  • Screening intent was very low (<1%) across all participants, irrespective of diabetic status.

Conclusions:

  • Diabetic women require targeted interventions to improve screening for gynecological cancers.
  • Primary care should focus on enhancing cancer screening uptake in both diabetic and non-diabetic populations.
  • Addressing socioeconomic factors and promoting screening intent are vital for comprehensive cancer control.

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