Utilization of bone mineral density testing among breast cancer survivors in British Columbia, Canada.

UNLABELLED

Breast cancer survivors are at high osteoporosis risk. Bone mineral density testing plays a key role in osteoporosis management. We analyzed a historical utilization of bone mineral density testing in breast cancer survivors. The utilization remained low in the 1995-2008 period. Lower socio-economic status and rural residency were associated with lower utilization.

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the utilization of bone mineral density (BMD) testing for female breast cancer survivors aged 65+ surviving ≥ 3 years in British Columbia, Canada.

METHODS

A retrospecitve population-based data linkage study. Trends in proportion of survivors with ≥ 1 BMD test for each calendar year from 1995 to 2008 were evaluated with a serial cross-sectional analysis. Associations between factors (socio-demographic and clinical) and BMD testing rates over the period 2006-2008 for 7625 survivors were evaluated with a cross-sectional analysis and estimated as adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) using log-binomial models.

RESULTS

Proportions of survivors with ≥ 1 BMD test increased from 1.0% in 1995 to 10.1% in 2008. The BMD testing rate in 2006-2008 was 26.5%. Socio-economic status (SES) and urban/rural residence were associated with BMD testing rates in a dose-dependent relationship (p for trend< 0.01). Survivors with lower SES (PR = 0.66-0.78) or rural residence (PR = 0.70) were 20-30% less likely to have BMD tests, compared with survivors with the highest SES or urban residence. BMD testing rates were also negatively associated with older age (75+) (PR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.42, 0.52), nursing home residency (0.05; 0.01, 0.39), recent osteoporotic fractures (0.21; 0.14, 0.32), and no previous BMD tests (0.26; 0.23, 0.29).

CONCLUSION

Utilization of BMD testing was low for breast cancer survivors in BC, Canada. Lower SES and rural residence were associated with lower BMD testing rates.

IMPLICATION FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Female breast cancer survivors, especially those with lower SES or rural residence, should be encouraged to receive BMD tests as recommended by Canadian guidelines.