title: Emerging issues on the impact of smoking on health-related quality of life in patients with lung cancer and their families.
abstract: Compelling evidence exists that continued smoking after a diagnosis of lung cancer adversely affects treatment effectiveness, survival, risk of recurrence, second malignancy, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The importance of HRQOL to patients with cancer and their families has been well documented. Because of increasing evidence of the benefits of smoking cessation, more research has focused on the impact of smoking on HRQOL. Smoking is a behavior that clusters in families; patients who smoke are likely to have family members who smoke, and together they experience impaired HRQOL. This article describes the evidence regarding HRQOL measurement in individuals diagnosed with lung cancer and their family members who smoke and explores the implications for nursing practice. Oncology nurses are in a critical position to advocate for the integration of HRQOL assessment into clinical settings, monitor patient and family member smoking status and environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and support development of smoking cessation interventions to enhance HRQOL.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of South Carolina in Columbia.
authors.forename: Karen Kane
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Linda F C
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Bullock
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hollen
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Kozower
mesh_terms: D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation
keywords: health-related quality of life; lung cancer; smoking