Abstract
BACKGROUND
Routine cancer screening may be of particular importance to women with renal failure, who are at greater risk for cervical, uterine, and colorectal cancer. Most dialysis patients rely on their nephrologists for preventive care. However, this care may not be similar to that provided by primary care physicians. We compared the prevalence of cancer screening between women with and without end‐stage renal disease.
METHODS
Forty‐six women on dialysis were compared with 25 women attending an ambulatory care resident clinic and 25 women attending a specialty women's clinic at the same institution. A verbal questionnaire was used to determine if these women received appropriate screening for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer.
RESULTS
Women without end‐stage renal disease were more likely to receive breast cancer screening (aOR = 5.94, 95% CI: 1.87, 18.9) routine cervical cancer screening (aOR = 4.57, 95% CI: 1.60, 13.1), and colorectal cancer screening (aOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 0.89, 8.39) when compared with women with renal failure . A higher percentage of women on dialysis reported never receiving a recommendation from a physician to obtain cervical or breast cancer screening.
CONCLUSIONS
African American women on dialysis received less preventive care than did women without end‐stage renal disease. Examination of factors influencing preventive screening among dialysis patients is warranted.