Skip to main content
. 2018 Jun 15;31(2):75–88. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzy124

Table 3.

Control of biologic parameters

Difference between cancer patients and controls
Study Better in cancer than controls No difference Worse in cancer than controls
(or ‘after’ compared to ‘before’ cancer depending on the study design) (or ‘after’ compared to ‘before’ cancer depending on the study design) (or ‘after’ compared to ‘before’ cancer depending on the study design)
Calip (2015) [27] Among patients with a medication possession ratio (MPR) <80, relative to the year before breast cancer (BC) diagnosis (glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c], 7.32: 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 7.01–7.63), MEAN HbA1c was similar in each of four periods after cancer diagnosis: treatment period (HbA1c = 7.46: 95% CI, 7.30–7.60); year +1 (HbA1c = 7.52: 95% CI, 7.36–7.68); year +2 (HbA1c = 7.53:95% CI, 7.37–7.69) and year +3 (HbA1c=7.42: 95% CI, 7.28–7.56).

  • Among all patients (those with MPR ≥80 plus those with MPR < 80), relative to the year before BC diagnosis (HbA1c [%], 6.96: 95% CI, 6.80–7.12), MEAN HbA1c was higher in each of four periods after cancer diagnosis: treatment period (HbA1c = 7.32: 95% CI, 7.18–7.46); year +1 (HbA1c = 7.41: 95% CI, 7.27–7.55); year +2 (HbA1c = 7.42: 95% CI, 7.28–7.56) and year +3 (HbA1c = 7.30: 95% CI, 7.17–7.43).

  • Among patients with a MPR ≥80, relative to the year before BC diagnosis (HbA1c = 6.45: 95% CI, 6.35–6.55), MEAN HbA1c was higher in each of four periods after cancer diagnosis: treatment period (HbA1c = 6.83: 95% CI, 6.67–6.99); year +1 (HbA1c = 6.90: 95% CI, 6.75–7.05); year +2 (HbA1c = 6.96: 95% CI, 6.79–7.13) and year +3 (HbA1c = 6.96: 95% CI, 6.80–7.12).
Shin (2014) [29] There was no difference between the percent of cancer patients and controls achieving ADEQUATE GLYCAEMIC CONTROL (HbA1c <7%): cancer survivors (25.2%: 95% CI, 17.5–34.8%); non-cancer, chronic disease controls (29.5%: 95% CI, 25.6–33.6%) and non-cancer, non-chronic disease controls (18.7%: 95% CI, 15.1–22.8%).
Onitilo (2013) [30] There was no difference in the MEDIAN HbA1c result score between patients with a history of BC and those without BC (cancer, score = 2 [HbA1c range 6.5–7.0%] interquartile range [IQR] = 1–3 versus control, score = 2; IQR = 1–3).
There was no difference in the MEDIAN HbA1c result score between patients with a history of PC and those without PC (cancer, score = 2; IQR = 1–3 versus control, score = 2; IQR = 1–3).
Bayliss (2011) [15] MEAN LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) CHOLESTEROL (mmol/l) decreased over 6 time periods from before to after cancer diagnosis (−24 to −6 months, mean 101; 95% CI, 98–104: −6 to 0 months, mean 98; 95% CI, 95–101: 0 to 6 months, mean 96; 95% CI, 92–100: 6–12 months, mean, 95; 95% CI, 91–99%: 12–24 months, mean 92; 95% CI, 89–95%: 24–60 months, mean 85, 95% CI, 82–89%).

  • There were no changes in MEAN HBA1C (%) over 6 time periods from before to after cancer diagnosis (−24 to −6 months, mean 7.9; 95% CI, 7.8–8.0: 6–0 months, mean 7.6; 95% CI, 7.4–7.8: 0–6 months, mean 7.7; 95% CI, 7.5–7.9: 6–12 months, mean, 7.8; 95% CI, 7.6–8.0: 12–24 months, mean 7.9; 95% CI, 7.7–8.1: 24–60 months, mean 7.8, 95% CI, 7.6–8.0).

  • There were no changes in MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP; mm Hg) over 6 time periods from before to after cancer diagnosis (−24 to −6 months, mean 132; 95% CI, 131–133: 6–0 months, mean 132; 95% CI, 130–134: 0–6 months, mean 134; 95% CI, 132–136: 6–12 months, mean, 132; 95% CI, 130–134: 12–24 months, mean 131; 95% CI, 129–133: 24–60 months, mean 132, 95% CI, 130–134).
Khan (2010) [17] There was no difference between BC patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL (cancer, 62.8%; 95% CI, 58.9–66.6% versus 57.9%; 95% CI, 54.1–61.8%). PC patients had a lower PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL CONTROL than controls (cancer, 74.6%; 95% CI, 68.2–80.9% versus control, 83.7%; 95% CI, 78.6–88.7%).a
There was no difference between colorectal cancer (CC) patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL (cancer, 63.7%; 95% CI, 57.7–69.7% versus control, 63.6%; 95% CI, 57.9–62.3%). PC patients had a lower PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH HBA1C CONTROL than controls (cancer, 63.7%; 95% CI, 57.2–70.4% versus control, 73.3%; 95% CI, 67.7–78.9%).a
There was no difference between prostate cancer (PC) patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL (cancer, 67.9%; 95% CI, 61.7–74.0% versus control, 65.1%; 95% CI, 59.7–70.5%).
There was no difference between BC patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL CONTROL (cancer, 64.2%; 95% CI, 59.7–68.8% versus control, 70.4%; 95% CI, 66.1–74.6%).
There was no difference between CC patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL CONTROL (cancer, 75.3%; 95% CI, 69.1–81.6% versus control, 78.6%; 95% CI, 73.0–84.1%).
There was no difference between BC patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH HBA1C CONTROL (cancer, 69.6%; 95% CI, 59.6–68.7% versus control, 64.1%; 95% CI, 59.6–68.7%).
There was no difference between PC patients and controls in the PERCENT OF QUARTERS WITH HBA1C CONTROL (cancer, 72.5%; 95% CI, 66.0–79.1% versus control, 68.5%; 95% CI, 62.1–74.9%).
Chiao (2010) [16]

  • MEAN HbA1c (%) was lower after compared to before CC diagnosis (mean before, 7.16; 95% CI, 6.9–7.4 versus mean after, 6.73; 95% CI, 6.5–7.0. Note that even though calculated confidence intervals overlap, authors report a P-value of 0.02-discrepancy probably because P-value based on paired t-test).

  • MEAN LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) was lower after compared to before CC diagnosis (mean before, 95.6; 95% CI, 89.8–101.4 versus mean after, 85.7; 95% CI, 78.2–93.2. Note that even though calculated confidence intervals overlap, authors report a P-value of 0.04-discrepancy probably because P-value based on paired t-test).

  • MEAN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (mm Hg) was similar after compared to before CC diagnosis (mean before, 72.7; 95% CI, 70.8–74.6 versus mean after, 71.8; 95% CI, 69.8–73.8).

  • MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (mm Hg) was similar after compared to before CC diagnosis (mean before, 141.9; 95% CI, 137.4–146.4 versus mean after, 137.5; 95% CI, 134.2–140.8).

  • TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (mmol/l) was similar after compared to before CC diagnosis (mean before, 165.6; 95% CI, 158.0–173.2 versus mean after 155.8; 95% CI, 146.3–165.3).
Keating (2007) [19] The PERCENT OF CANCER PATIENTS WHOSE MOST RECENT HBA1C WAS <8.0% was higher than controls (cancer, 73.4% versus control, 70.9% [insufficient data to calculate CIs]). The PERCENT OF CANCER PATIENTS WHOSE MOST RECENT BLOOD PRESSURE WAS <130/80 mm Hg was similar to controls (cancer, 31.3% versus control, 32.2% [insufficient data to calculate CIs]). The PERCENT OF CANCER PATIENTS WHOSE MOST RECENT LDL CHOLESTEROL WAS <100 mg/dl was lower than controls (cancer, 40.7% versus control, 42.2% [insufficient data to calculate CIs]).

aAuthors reported these differences as statistically significant at P < 0.05. In the table, the calculated 95% confidence intervals for the proportions overlap. One of the corresponding risk ratios calculated and reported in Figure 2.5 was statistically significantly <1.0, and the other narrowly failed to meet the threshold for statistical significance. Therefore, it is likely that the authors assessed the statistical significance of differences between cancer patients and controls using the risk ratio approach.

Shaded results indicate that the findings were aggregated across multiple cancers, by the authors of that study, in instances where results from individual cancers included in that study also were reported.