Breast Cancer and Diabetes: Survivorship Impact in Medically Underserved Latinas

Cancer and diabetes are severe chronic illnesses that often co-occur. The presence of diabetes in cancer patients is associated with increased risk for poor health outcomes and decreased overall survival.  Lack of access to care and under-diagnosis of diabetes makes this co-occurrence particularly troubling among the Latinos. This preliminary study explored the association of diabetes with functioning and physical health outcomes among underserved Latina breast cancer survivors (BCS).  137 Latina BCS participated. Latina BCS completed a self-report questionnaire that assessed demographic and cancer-related medial characteristics, co-occurrence of diabetes, functional and physical outcomes. Among Latina BCS, 98 (72%) were non-diabetic and 39 (28 %) were diabetic. Latina BCS with diabetes were more likely to report less than a high school education, being uninsured, and unemployed (p<0.01), and more likely to report later stage at diagnosis than BCS without diabetes. BCS with diabetes reported more lymphedema symptoms than BCS without diabetes (p<0.05). Although not statistically significant, BCS with diabetes had lower general health, experienced more pain, and reported greater social functioning and physical role limitations. This preliminary investigation sheds new light on emerging evidence documenting the negative associations of multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes on patients’ outcomes. More attention to the co-occurrence of cancer and chronic disease is warranted for addressing cancer health disparities. Our descriptive analysis offers support for additional inquiry and attention to the co-occurrence of cancer and chronic disease as a target for action in improvements in quality, patient-centered care and the reduction of persistent health disparities.