Poor outcomes include lower response rate to chemotherapy, higher mortality, recurrence
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Smoking is tied to worse bladder cancer outcomes following radical cystectomy, according to a review published online Oct. 1 in The Journal of Urology.
Giovanni E. Cacciamani, M.D., from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature search to identify studies evaluating tobacco smoking exposure, duration, intensity, and cessation on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and long-term survival outcomes in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.
Based on 17 studies (13,777 patients), a pooled meta-analysis revealed that active smokers had an increased risk for overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21), cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.24), and bladder cancer recurrence (HR, 1.24). When analyzing only patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy, nonsmokers and never smokers showed an advantage in terms of neoadjuvant chemotherapy complete response rate compared with active smokers (HR, 0.47).
“Appropriate preoperative counseling, together with tightened follow-up, may have a pivotal role in improving the smoking-related long-term survival outcomes in patients with bladder cancer,” the authors write.
Financial Incentives Boost Tobacco Abstinence in Underserved Adults 
Urine Cell-Free RNA Shows Promise as Biomarker for Bladder Cancer 
ASTRO Issues Guidance for Use of Radiation Therapy in Bladder Cancer 
Cancer Drug Shortages Persist at All Cancer Centers .jpg)
Most Specialty Oral Anticancer Meds for Blood Cancers Are Initially Rejected by Insurers 
Personalized Support Boosts Families" Genetic Testing for Hereditary Cancers .jpg)
Cancer Survivors Have Lower Levels of Physical Activity 
Pharmacist-Led Med Review Improves Medication Quality in Older Patients With Cancer 
