Cigarette smoking patterns in patients after treatment of upper aerodigestive tract cancers.
There is a paucity of data on variables predictive of successful smoking cessation in cancer patients. In this questionnaire-based study, we report the smoking status of 75 patients (46 men, 29 women) with head and neck cancer followed for a minimum of 30 months after definitive therapy. Seventy-one percent of the men and 61% of the women who were current smokers at diagnosis stopped smoking subsequent to diagnosis and treatment. Only 29% and 39%, respectively, continued to smoke, most at decreased intensity. Patients with laryngeal cancer were most likely to have stopped (83%). Conversely, patients with oral cavity cancer were most likely to be continuing smokers (66%). In addition, older age, college education, and lighter smoking habits were somewhat predictive of successful cessation. Fear of recurrent disease and physician advice were the questionnaire-listed incentives most often chosen as contributing to success in cessation. The role health professionals can play in counseling cancer patients to stop smoking is stressed.
Spitz
M R
MR
Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
Fueger
J J
JJ
Chamberlain
R M
RM
Goepfert
H
H
Newell
G R
GR
D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention