Understanding the association of type 2 diabetes mellitus in breast cancer among african american and european american populations in south carolina

Abstract

Background In South Carolina, the co-occurrence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and breast cancer (BrCA) is much more prevalent among African American populations than among European American populations. The underlying relationship between diabetes and breast cancer may influence breast cancer survival. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the effect of diabetes on developing breast cancer and to reduce racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Methods Study participants included women of European American (EA) and African American (AA) ethnicity from both the Medicaid ICD-9 designations and the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry (SCCCR). A historical prospective cohort design was used to determine the risk of developing breast cancer among women of different ethnicities with and without DM. The chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the association; the logistic model was used to assess the relationship between breast cancer and other factors among EA and AAwomen. Results Menopausemay have protective properties forAAcompared to EA women. AA women have twice the odds of not surviving from each breast cancer stage compared to EAwomen with respect to their breast cancer stage. Adherence to diabetes medication may contribute to lower breast cancer death in EA. Conclusion This study illustrates the discrepancy between EA and AAwomen in terms of breast cancer survival. AAwomen bear a higher disease burden than EA women. To create ethnic-appropriate public health policies, it is imperative that we understand the effect of comorbidities on breast cancer and how we can prevent them from occurring.