Abstract
PurposeBreast cancer is the most common cancer globally as well as in Sri Lanka. Improvements in cancer care have allowed patients to live to an older age. With advancing age, incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increases. Cancer diagnoses tend to take attention away from the treatment of other comorbidities, given its importance. The objective of this study was to describe healthcare delivery for NCDs among female breast cancer survivors treated at the National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka (NCISL) and identify opportunities to optimise non-cancer medical care in this cohort.MethodsA total of 420 women were identified from the breast cancer database at the NCISL, who were 50–80 years at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis, were within 12–24 months from the date of diagnosis, had completed their active cancer treatment and were in complete remission. Of this population, 228 (54%) women who had documented NCDs at the time of diagnosis were identified and were followed-up via telephone to collect details regarding existing comorbidities and the screening and development of new comorbidities.ResultsAt the time of cancer diagnosis, 216/228 (95%) of patients had hypertension, 104/228 (46%) had type 2 diabetes and 17/228 (8%) had ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The prevalence of other comorbidities was very low. During the post diagnosis period, 11 patients developed type 2 diabetes, while 2 developed IHD. Osteoporosis screening using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning was very low at diagnosis 21/228 (9%) but improved in post cancer treatment follow-up 112/228 (49%, p < 0.001). Only 95/228 (42%) were screened for other cancers.ConclusionsHypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity while type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia were the most common diagnoses post-treatment. In these patients, screening for osteoporosis and other cancers remains very low, emphasising a missed opportunity.
Highlights
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death globally with an age standardised incident rate of 46.3 per 100,000 and a mortality rate of 13 per 100 [1]
Osteoporosis screening using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning was very low at diagnosis 21/228 (9%) but improved in post cancer treatment follow-up 112/228 (49%, p < 0.001)
The rising incidence and improvements in cancer care have contributed to a growing number of breast cancer survivors, more than half of whom are older than 65 years of age [8]
Summary
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death globally with an age standardised incident rate of 46.3 per 100,000 and a mortality rate of 13 per 100 [1]. The rising incidence and improvements in cancer care have contributed to a growing number of breast cancer survivors, more than half of whom are older than 65 years of age [8]. As these cancer survivors live longer, they are more susceptible to other comorbidities including cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to added risk from complications of treatment and common baselines risk factors [3]. In Sri Lanka, CVD remains the most prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality, and common risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity have increased [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
