title: Insulin glargine versus other types of basal insulin-clinical and tumor characteristics in patients with breast carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that some insulin analogues could be associated with an increased risk of cancer. The aim of this retrospective study was to examine whether patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) using insulin glargine have a higher tumor stage of breast carcinoma in comparison to patients using other types of insulin.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a chart review of 79 surgically treated breast carcinoma patients (mean age of 66.5 years; range 38-86 years) who were on insulin. Insulin glargine was used in 13 patients, while the other 66 patients were on other types of insulin. Clinical and histopathology characteristics of patients on glargine versus other types of insulin were compared using a chi-square test and non-parametric statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DM type 1 and DM type 2 was present in 14 and 65 patients, respectively. The mean tumor size was 2.98 cm. The TNM tumor stage at diagnosis was not higher among patients on glargine compared to patients on other types of insulin (T1/T2 85% vs. 68%, T3/T4 15% vs. 32%, p = 0.32; N1 54% vs. 58%, p = 0.80; M1 8% vs. 6%, respectively). No significant differences between both study groups (glargine vs. other types of insulin) were found in the ages of the patients, their BMI, tumor histology, grade, number of metastatic lymph nodes, hormone receptors or HER-2 status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not show that patients with DM using insulin glargine have a higher tumor stage of breast carcinoma in comparison to those using other types of insulin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. nbesic@onko-i.si.
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Besic
authors.forename: Nika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satej
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human