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Prevalence and factors related to smoking and smoking cessation 6 months following a cancer diagnosis: a population-based study

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An Erratum to this article was published on 20 July 2016

Abstract

Purpose

Limited research has examined smoking amongst recent cancer survivors or the relative contribution of factors on smoking behaviour. This study aimed to describe amongst recent Australian cancer survivors (i) prevalence of smoking by cancer type, (ii) characteristics associated with continued smoking following diagnosis, (iii) intention to quit among those who continue to smoke and (iv) characteristics associated with quitting following diagnosis.

Method

Cross-sectional data were analysed from 1299 cancer survivors diagnosed with their first primary cancer recruited from two Australian cancer registries in Australia between 2006 and 2008.

Results

Of participants, 8.6 % reported current smoking. Participants who were younger and single or widowed reported higher odds of current smoking. Participants who had a certificate/diploma or tertiary education reported lower odds of smoking. Among current smokers, 53 % intended to quit in the future. Lung cancer survivors reported more than four times the odds of quitting smoking since diagnosis compared to other cancer types.

Conclusion

Of recent Australian cancer survivors, 14 % report continued smoking.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Smoking following a cancer diagnosis is associated with increased risk of mortality and further morbidity. There is a need to target cessation efforts towards survivors who are younger, without a partner and with a low level of education.

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Acknowledgments

The research on which this paper is based was conducted as part of the Cancer Survival Study. Funding for this study was provided by the National Health & Medical Research Council (ID 252418), Cancer Council NSW, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Honda Foundation and University of Newcastle. These funding bodies played no role in the study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation, in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication. Dr. Bryant is supported by an Australian Research Council Post-Doctoral Industry Fellowship. Dr. Boyes is supported by a National Health & Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (APP1073317) and Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (13/ECF/1-37). Professor Girgis is supported by a Cancer Institute NSW grant. The Victorian Cancer Registry (Cancer Council Victoria) and NSW Central Cancer Registry (NSW Department of Health and Cancer Institute NSW) assisted with case recruitment. Our thanks to Alison Zucca for research support, Sandra Dowley for data management and Patrick McElduff for statistical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Jamie Bryant, Allison W. Boyes, Alix Hall & Afaf Girgis

  2. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, HRMI Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Catherine D’Este

  3. Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council New South Wales, Kings Cross, NSW, Australia

    Freddy Sitas

  4. Present address: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Australia

    Afaf Girgis

  5. Present address: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Barry Drive, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Catherine D’Este

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  1. Jamie Bryant
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Correspondence to Jamie Bryant.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Bryant, J., Boyes, A.W., Hall, A. et al. Prevalence and factors related to smoking and smoking cessation 6 months following a cancer diagnosis: a population-based study. J Cancer Surviv 10, 645–653 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0510-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0510-7

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