Association of breast cancer and diabetes mellitus in Korean postmenopausal women

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This association is, however, controversial, and not elucidated in Asia. This study aimed to determine the association between diabetes mellitus and breast cancer risk in Korean women.Methods: This retrospective study included subjects who underwent an ultrasound-localized needle-extracted biopsy to investigate questionable breast findings at the Eulji University Hospital breast clinic in Seoul, Korea, between 2000 and 2019. The medical records of the participants were reviewed to determine their age, diabetic status, and breast pathology findings. The participants were categorized into two groups, namely, the control group, that included those with benign breast disease; and, the breast cancer group. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between diabetes and breast cancer amongst pre- and post-menopausal participants.Results: A total of 1268 participants were included in this analysis. We found that diabetes was significantly associated with an increased odds of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR] 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76 to 2.84). Additionally, postmenopausal participants (aged ≥ 50 years) showed increased odds for breast cancer (OR 4.32; 95% CI, 3.37 to 5.53). The association between diabetes and breast cancer was significant, after adjusting for age, in the postmenopausal group (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.60; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.35), but was not significant in the premenopausal group (aOR 1.10; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.60).Conclusion: Diabetes was associated with increased odds of breast cancer compared to benign breast disease in postmenopausal women in Korea.