Glycemic Variability Within 1 Year Following Surgery for Stage II-III Colon Cancer.

Objective: To examine glycemic variability within 1 month and 1 year following surgery among adult patients, with and without Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), treated for stage II-III colon cancer.

Method: A retrospective analysis of electronic health record data was conducted. Glycemic variability (i.e., standard deviation [SD] and coefficient of variation [CV] of 2 blood glucose measures) was assessed within 1 month and within 1 year following colon surgery. Chi-square (χ), Fisher's exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for the analyses.

Results: Among the sample of 165 patients with stage II-III colon cancer, those with T2D had higher glycemic variability compared to patients without T2D ( < .001), with values within 1 month following surgery (SD 44.69 mg/dL, CV 27.4%) vs (SD 20.55 mg/dL, CV 17.53%); and within 1 year following surgery (SD 45.04 mg/dL, CV 29.04%) vs (SD 21.36 mg/dL, CV 18.6%). Associations were found between lower body mass index and higher glycemic variability (i.e., SD [r -.413, .05] and CV [r -.481, .01]) within 1 month following surgery in patients with T2D. Higher preoperative glucose was associated with higher glycemic variability (i.e., SD r .448, .01) within 1 year in patients with T2D. Demographic and clinical characteristics were weakly associated with glycemic variability in patients without T2D.

Conclusions: Patients with stage II-III colon cancer with T2D experienced higher glycemic variability within 1 month and within 1 year following surgery compared to those without T2D. Associations between glycemic variability and demographic and clinical characteristics differed by T2D status. Further research in prospective studies is warranted.