Newswise — A recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal CANCER reveals that adult cancer survivors who currently smoke or vape experience a greater burden of symptoms. However, the study did not find a connection between these symptoms and the survivors' desire to quit smoking. The research, which involved adult cancer survivors, suggests that smoking and vaping can contribute to increased symptom severity in this population. The findings provide important insights into the potential impact of smoking and vaping on the well-being of cancer survivors.
It is crucial to recognize that smoking after a cancer diagnosis has detrimental effects on survival rates, increases the risk of developing additional cancers, and reduces the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Therefore, it is vital for clinicians to understand the connection between tobacco use and the symptoms experienced by cancer patients. This understanding can assist in developing personalized tobacco cessation interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of individuals with cancer. By addressing tobacco use in this population, healthcare providers can improve treatment outcomes and overall quality of life for cancer patients.
To investigate the association between tobacco use and symptoms among cancer survivors, a team of researchers led by Sarah Price, PhD, from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, conducted a study. The study involved analyzing data from 1,409 adults with a history of cancer who participated in Wave 5 of the US FDA Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. The PATH Study collected comprehensive information on tobacco use from a nationally representative sample of adults between December 2018 and November 2019. This dataset provided the researchers with valuable information to examine the relationship between tobacco use and symptoms in cancer survivors.
The study findings based on participants' questionnaire responses showed that among individuals previously diagnosed with cancer, 14% currently smoked cigarettes and 3% used vaping devices. Current smoking was linked to higher levels of fatigue, pain, emotional issues, and lower quality of life compared to those who had quit smoking or never smoked. Current vaping was associated with increased fatigue, pain, and emotional problems but did not show a significant impact on overall quality of life. These results contribute to the existing evidence highlighting that continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis is a risk factor for poorer outcomes. It emphasizes the importance of addressing tobacco use in cancer patients to improve their overall well-being and treatment outcomes.
There was no relationship between patients’ burden of symptoms and their interest in quitting smoking cigarettes, their likelihood of quitting, or their attempts to quit in the past year.
Dr. Sarah Price, the lead researcher, highlighted an important finding from the study, stating that their discovery contradicts the common assumption that cancer patients, due to their symptom burden, are less inclined to quit smoking. The study did not find a link between a higher symptom burden and reduced interest in quitting smoking. This challenges the notion that symptom severity hinders tobacco cessation efforts in cancer patients. Dr. Price suggested that if smoking cessation is integrated into cancer symptom management, it might be more readily accepted by both patients and healthcare providers. Additionally, Dr. Price emphasized the need for further research to investigate whether effectively managing cancer symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or emotional problems can contribute to higher success rates in smoking cessation among cancer survivors. This could provide valuable insights into developing more comprehensive approaches to support cancer patients in quitting smoking.
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