Smoking Cessation Aids Survival Even Following a Cancer Diagnosis

TUESDAY, Nov. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Evidence-based smoking cessation treatment within six months of a cancer diagnosis maximizes survival benefit, according to a study published online Oct. 31 in JAMA Oncology.

Paul M. Cinciripini, Ph.D., from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues examined the association between time of entry into a smoking cessation intervention following a cancer diagnosis and survival outcomes. The analysis included 4,526 currently smoking patients diagnosed with cancer and receiving cessation treatment.

The researchers found that survival over 15 years increased for those quitting smoking at three months (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75), six months (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.79), and nine months (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.85) of follow-up. The optimal survival outcomes were seen among patients who received tobacco treatment within six months of a cancer diagnosis. Their survival increased from 2.1 years among continuing smokers (nonabstainers) to 3.9 years for patients who quit (abstainers), at the 75th percentile. When tobacco treatment began within six months to five years following diagnosis, similar but less pronounced outcomes were seen, with survival at the 75th percentile of 4.8 years for nonabstainers versus 6.0 years for abstainers.

“This study supports smoking cessation as an important early clinical intervention for patients after being diagnosed with cancer,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text