Smoking Data May Guide Improved Lung Cancer Care and Patient Support

A new study investigated how often smoking discussions are documented at cancer–accredited hospitals, where 70% of patients with new cancer diagnoses receive care, according to Dr. Daniel J. Boffa, a professor of thoracic surgery at Yale School of Medicine. The team found that smoking status was recorded in 97% of cases, an encouraging sign of quality communication between patients and providers.

The study also examined new variables of current, former or never smoking status using the National Cancer Database, which revealed that nearly half of patients had a history of tobacco use. In addition, 15% of patients were still smoking at diagnosis, which gives them the opportunity to quit even after diagnosis.

Smoking can affect how cancer behaves and responds to treatment, with smoking-related cancers often showing different genetic patterns than those found in non-smokers, according to Boffa. He also emphasized that patients can expect robust cessation support, including hospital teams, medications and quit lines.

Transcript:

Well, I think the most actionable finding was that about 15% of people were actively smoking at the time of their diagnosis, and that's a real opportunity to make a difference, because quitting at the time of a cancer diagnosis can really help improve outcomes.

There truly is no point in time when quitting smoking is not a benefit to patients. It's hard when you're diagnosed with cancer—it's a very stressful time, and that's when it's even more difficult to quit a behavior you've been doing for a while.

But the payoff is real. Treatments are associated with fewer complications when you quit smoking, and the treatments can work more effectively. The behavior of the cancer itself can actually improve, and there's a lower chance that the cancer will come back. So, there are tremendous benefits to quitting, even if you've already been diagnosed with cancer.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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