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

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.