Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer screening: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: von Wagner, Christian; Cadar, Dorina; Hackett, Ruth A; Demakakos, Panayotes; Beeken, Rebecca J; Cooper Bailey, Stacy; Wolf, Michael; Steptoe, Andrew; Renzi, Cristina; Stoffel, Sandro T
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical screening. Volume 27:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 25
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Bowel cancer -- bowel cancer screening -- colorectal cancer screening -- screening participation -- diabetes -- comorbidities; Medical screening -- Periodicals; 362.177
• DOI: 10.1177/0969141319874834
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0969-1413

Abstract

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for colorectal cancer, but little is known about whether it influences participation in colorectal cancer screening programmes. This study tested the extent to which Type 2 diabetes is negatively associated with colorectal cancer screening uptake. Methods: We analysed individual data of screening eligible men and women aged 60–75 without cancer diagnosis from wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (collected 2012–2013), to investigate whether Type 2 Diabetes influences colorectal cancer screening behaviour independently of demographic characteristics, body mass index, socio-economic status and other chronic diseases. Results: Individuals who reported to have Type 2 diabetes or had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of 48 mmol/mol or higher were less likely to have ever completed a screening test (faecal occult blood test; 62.8% vs. 75.8%, p < 0.01) or to be up-to-date with their biennial screening invitation (60.2% vs. 72.0%, p < 0.05). The negative associations of Type 2 diabetes on colorectal cancer screening were found both in unadjusted and adjusted regression models. Conclusions: Future qualitative and quantitative research should identify reasons for this discrepancy, to inform interventions to increase screening uptake in this high-risk population.