In a single-institution study reported in JAMA Oncology, Cinciripini et al found that patients with cancer who quit smoking after a smoking cessation intervention had improved overall survival after cancer diagnosis.
Study Details and Results
The study involved data on 4,526 patients who were smokers after a cancer diagnosis and who received the smoking intervention between January 2006 and March 2022 as part of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Tobacco Research and Treatment Program. Patients were assessed for smoking cessation or continuation at 3, 6, and 9 months following the start of the cessation intervention.
A total of 1,900 patients were abstainers and 2,626 were nonabstainers after the cessation program. Overall survival over 15 years was increased among patients quitting smoking at 3 months (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67–0.83), 6 months (aHR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.71–0.88), and 9 months (aHR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76–0.95) after the start of the intervention.
Optimal survival outcomes were observed for patients who started cessation treatment within 6 months of their cancer diagnosis. At the 75th percentile of survival among these patients, survival increased from 2.1 years (95% CI = 1.8–2.4 years) among nonabstainers to 3.9 years (95% CI = 3.2–4.6 years) among abstainers.
Benefit of cessation was also observed when the cessation intervention began within 6 months to 5 years after cancer diagnosis. Survival at the 75th percentile was 6.0 years (95% CI = 5.1–7.2 years) among abstainers vs 4.8 years (95% CI = 4.3–5.3 years) among nonabstainers.
The investigators concluded: “The results of this prospective cohort study suggest that evidence-based smoking cessation treatment within 6 months following a cancer diagnosis maximizes survival benefit. This study supports smoking cessation as an important early clinical intervention for patients after being diagnosed with cancer.”
Paul M. Cinciripini, PhD, of the Department of Behavioral Science,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is the corresponding author of the JAMA Oncology article.
Disclosure: The study was supported by the State of Texas Permanent Health Funds and others. For full disclosures of all study authors, visit JAMA Oncology.
