Smoking Cessation Within 6 Months of Cancer Diagnosis Boosts Survival Rates for Patients With Lung Cancer

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Following lung cancer diagnosis, adjusting lifestyle habits can improve treatment responses.

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that survival outcomes improved when patients quit smoking within 6 months of their diagnosis. Smoking is a known risk factor across cancer types, especially lung cancer. After a cancer diagnosis, cessation of smoking and adjusting lifestyle habits are key to ensuring optimal treatment responses.

Smoking is the number 1 risk factor for lung cancer and is linked to approximately 80% to 90% of cases in the United States. Tobacco smoke is a mix of over 7000 toxic chemicals which, with continued exposure, result in damage and mutation to cells. Individuals who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer, and smoking occasionally can increase risk. Quitting smoking is considered the leading preventable cause of death and disease.¹

"While smoking cessation is widely promoted across cancer centers for cancer prevention, it remains under-addressed by many oncologists in their routine care," said principal investigator Paul Cinciripini, PhD, chair of Behavioral Science and executive director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Program at MD Anderson. "Our research underscores the critical role of early smoking cessation as a key clinical intervention for patients undergoing cancer treatment."²

In the study, the researchers from MD Anderson aimed to determine the association between time of entry into a smoking cessation intervention following a cancer diagnosis and survival outcomes. They evaluated 4526 current smokers who had been diagnosed with cancer and were receiving cessation treatment (2254 [49.8%] female; median [IQR] age, 55 [47-62] years) at MD Anderson. The participants were assessed at 3-, 6-, and 9-months following the beginning of cessation treatment, which involved 6 to 8 personalized counseling visits and 10 to 12 weeks of pharmacotherapy. Cessation was defined as self-reported no smoking in the 2 days before each assessment.³

According to the data, survival over 15 years increased for those quitting smoking at 3 months (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.75 [95% 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]). At the 75th percentile, survival increased from 2.1 years (95% CI, 1.8-2.4 years) among continuing smokers (nonabstainers) compared with 3.9 years (95% CI, 3.2-4.6 years) for patients who quit (abstainers). Similar outcomes were noted when tobacco treatment began within 6 months to 5 years following diagnosis, with survival at the 75th percentile of 4.8 years (95% CI, 4.3-5.3 years) for nonabstainers compared with 6.0 years (95% CI, 5.1-7.2 years) for abstainers.³

"This is a call to action for experts, regulatory bodies and institutions to prioritize smoking cessation as an integral part of first-line cancer care," said Cinciripini. "MD Anderson has made a significant investment in clinical care and research related to tobacco use, which at the individual patient level translates to a better quality of life and a longer one, for those who quit smoking. The earlier the engagement in tobacco cessation treatment, the greater impact on a patient’s lifespan.”²

REFERENCES

1. Lung cancer risk factors. CDC. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/lung-cancer/risk-factors/index.html#:~:text=Smoking-,Cigarette%20smoking%20is%20the%20number%20one%20risk%20factor%20for%20lung,of%20more%20than%207%2C000%20chemicals.

2. Quitting smoking after cancer diagnosis improves survival across a wide variety of cancers. News Release. October 31, 2024. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1063234

3. Cinciripini P, Kypriotakis G, Blalock J, et al. Survival outcomes of an early intervention smoking cessation treatment after a cancer diagnosis. Jama Oncol. October 31, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.4890