Association of Comorbid Diabetes With Clinical Outcomes and Healthcare Utilization in Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Objectives: To compare clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors with and without diabetes.

Sample & Setting: CRC survivors (N = 3,287) were identified from a statewide electronic health record database using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Data were extracted on adults aged 21 years or older with an initial diagnosis of stage II or III CRC with diabetes present before CRC diagnosis or no diagnosis of diabetes (control).

Methods & Variables: ICD codes were used to extract diabetes diagnosis and clinical outcome variables. Healthcare utilization was determined by encounter type. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic, and Cox regression.

Results: CRC survivors with diabetes were more likely to develop anemia and infection than CRC survivors without diabetes. In addition, CRC survivors with diabetes were more likely to utilize emergency resources sooner than CRC survivors without diabetes.

Implications for Nursing: Oncology nurses can facilitate the early identification of high-risk survivor groups, reducing negative clinical outcomes and unnecessarily high healthcare resource utilization in CRC survivors with diabetes.