Project Summary
The goal of this project is to build a volunteer advisory team to explore issues related to breast cancer and diabetes, specifically prediabetes in breast cancer patients, and the viability of using prediabetes management strategies of dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels to normal ranges, and prevent or delay progression to type 2 diabetes in this population. A growing body of evidence indicates a strong association between type 2 diabetes and breast cancer development, including a higher risk of recurrence and higher mortality than in breast cancer patients who do not have diabetes.
Diet and lifestyle changes are a proven method of prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes onset. This project's aim is to determine whether a future clinical trial studying prediabetes management as a complement to current treatments would be feasible and useful in breast cancer care. Advisory team members will be identified and recruited for the project. Ideally, the team will include a medical oncologist, an endocrinologist, a certified oncology nurse and a nutritionist, as well as a breast cancer patient who is prediabetic.
A focus group of breast cancer patients and an online survey for breast cancer survivors who participate in online cancer discussion groups will gauge patient interest in prediabetes education and willingness to adopt dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce FBG levels and maintain them at a healthy level.