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

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 (PRadj ) 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 (PRadj  = 0.66-0.78) or rural residence (PRadj  = 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+) (PRadj  = 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.