Identifying patients with diabetes in a day‐case systemic anti‐cancer therapy population: the Belfast Regional Oncology Centre experience

Abstract

AbstractPatients undergoing systemic anti‐cancer treatment (SACT) often receive short courses of high dose steroids which may cause hyperglycaemia and potentially impact negatively on clinical outcomes. In this study we aimed to ascertain the prevalence of diabetes in a day‐case SACT cohort and secondly to compare practical methods of identifying patients with diabetes in a busy oncology service.We performed two prospective snapshots of all patients attending for day‐case SACT at the Regional Oncology Centre, Belfast, over two separate week‐long periods. In the first snapshot we evaluated laboratory random serum glucose concentration. Data from 221 patients identified 14 patients with elevated random serum glucose (≥11.1mmol/L). In the second snapshot we added a patient questionnaire asking if the patient had diabetes alongside laboratory random serum glucose concentrations. We obtained 242 completed questionnaires from a potential of 299 (81% response rate) patients; 54 (22%) had known diabetes. By laboratory data, only 17 of 242 (7%) had a random serum glucose concentration ≥11.1mmol/L. All 17 would have been identified by asking the patient if they had diabetes. Diabetes is common in this cohort (22%). In a busy oncology clinic, the most effective way to identify patients with diabetes is to ask them first if they have diabetes.This study is timely given the recent publication of Joint British Diabetes Societies and United Kingdom Chemotherapy Board guidance to improve the glycaemic control of patients with cancer. Earlier diagnosis and subsequent intervention to improve glycaemic control have the potential to improve clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.