PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

ackground: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), including those with Down syndrome (DS), often experience significant health inequities, with cancer being a leading cause of premature mortality. A comprehensive Oncol Res Treat 2026;49(suppl 1):10–335Abstracts75 assessment of current healthcare challenges is essential to improve medical support and interventions for this at-risk group. Methods: We conducted a large-scale, cross-sectional study using German nationwide outpatient health insurance records. The analysis included 46,362 individuals diagnosed with DS, compared to a demographically matched control group of 463,620 individuals without ID, matched by age, sex, and residential district. Result: A malignant neoplasm (ICD codes C00-C97) was diagnosed in 2.4% of individuals with DS, versus 2.8% in the non-ID group, yielding lower odds for an overall cancer diagnosis among those with DS (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.80–0.91; p<0.0001). Neoplasms of the lymphatic and hemato- poietic systems, as well as testicular and uterine cancers occurred more frequently compared to controls (all p<0.0001). Conversely, malignancies of the breast, urinary tract, digestive organs, and skin were less common in the DS group (all p<0.0001). Individuals with DS participated markedly less in cancer screening (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.56–0.59; p<0.0001). Discussion and Conclusion: Barriers to accessing healthcare and reduced participation in screening programs may partially explain lower overall cancer diagnosis rates in DS. Importantly, certain malignancies—includ- ing leukemia as well as testicular and uterine cancers—are more common in individuals with DS, highlighting the need for tailored screening strate- gies and focused research to address these unique vulnerabilities.