Diabetes and breast cancer In 2015, an article published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment examined the impact of diabetes on the stages of breast cancer. The study concluded that diabetes is associated with advanced stages of breast cancer in patients and this could be a reason behind higher mortality rates. The researchers suggested looking at the possibility of race/ethnicity being a possible confounder.

a. Explain what the last sentence means and how race/

ethnicity could potentially explain the association between diabetes and breast cancer.

b. If race/ethnicity was not measured in the study and the researchers failed to consider its effects, could it be a confounding variable or a lurking variable? Explain the difference between a lurking variable and a confounding variable.