Relationship Between Insulin Use, Social Determinants of Health, and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

According to a study published in Cancer Control, there are socioeconomic differences related to the health care system and behavioral patterns that are associated with discrepancies in the use of insulin and the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Researchers aimed to investigate the relationship between insulin use, social determinants of health (SDOH), and NMSC risk among individuals with diabetes. Leveraging data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the analysis focused on 8685 eligible participants with diabetes.

The results revealed a higher probability of NMSC event-free survival among participants with diabetes using insulin compared to those not using insulin, as demonstrated by Kaplan Meier survival curves. Further analysis showed significant associations between insulin use and reduced odds of NMSC, with an odds ratio of 0.56 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.38 to 0.82. Additionally, insulin use was associated with a decreased hazard of NMSC, with a hazard ratio of 0.36 and a 95% CI of 0.21 to 0.62. These associations persisted even after adjusting for indices of SDOH.

The study's conclusions suggest that socioeconomic disparities related to health care access and behavioral patterns may contribute to differences in insulin use and the development of NMSC among individuals with diabetes.

Reference
Massouh N, Jaffa AA, Jaffa MA. Role of insulin use and social determinants of health on non-melanoma skin cancer: results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Cancer Control. 2024;31:10732748241249896. doi:10.1177/10732748241249896