Smoking Cessation Programs for Cancer Patients

Smoking raises risk for all-cause and cancer-specific deaths in patients with cancer — even among patients with cancers for which smoking isn't a major risk factor. But not all smokers with cancer receive formal tobacco-cessation management. In this prospective cohort study, researchers looked at survival outcomes in 4526 smokers who received diagnoses of any type of cancer and who subsequently were enrolled in a tobacco intervention program at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The program consisted of multiple counseling visits and personalized medication treatment.

Among patients who enrolled in the program within 6 months of their cancer diagnoses, the group who reported having quit smoking at 3 months had significantly longer survival than did nonquitters (71% vs. 61% for 5-year survival; 58% vs. 52% for 10-year survival). Patients who enrolled between 6 months and 5 years after their cancer was diagnosed and who subsequently quit also had longer survival, as did patients who quit by 6 or 9 months (rather than just 3 months) after enrollment. However, those who enrolled and quit smoking longer than 5 years after their cancer was diagnosed did not have a survival benefit over those who continued to smoke.