Women with Multiple Sclerosis May Be Missing Breast Cancer Screenings

In a study published in Neurology, women with multiple sclerosis (MS) were less likely to have breast cancer detected through screenings than women without MS. Women with MS were also more likely to have colorectal cancers detected early with screenings compared with women without MS. The disability levels in women with MS and breast cancer (21%) and people with MS and colorectal cancer (33%) were high enough to need home care services or long-term care. 

“MS can be a debilitating disease and mobility issues may make it difficult for people with MS to get to regular cancer screenings,” said study author Ruth Ann Marrie, MD, PhD, of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, in Canada, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “We conducted this study because little is known about whether having MS plays a role in getting regular cancer screenings. Early detection and timely diagnosis are important because they can affect a person’s cancer survival.”
 
In the women with MS, 29% (n=103) had breast cancer detected at a routine screening, whereas 38% of women without MS (n=529) had the same result. The likelihood of breast cancer being detected through a routine screening was 32% lower in women with MS after adjusting for age, diagnosis year, and income. In contrast, individuals with MS were twice as likely to have early detection of colorectal cancer as those without MS. 

“There is a high occurrence of bowel symptoms and gastrointestinal disorders in patients with MS, which could lead to shared symptoms with colorectal cancer,” said Marrie. “Increased gastrointestinal exams may help detect colorectal cancer sooner.”
 
For the study, data from 14.8 million people were examined to identify people with breast or colorectal cancer with or without MS. Women with breast cancer and MS (n=351) were compared with women with breast cancer and no MS (n=1,404), and  54 people with colorectal cancer and MS were compared with 216 people with colorectal cancer and no MS.