Restrospective cohort identifying opportunities for tobacco cessation intervention in tobacco-related cancers

The CDC reports in 2001, that ~ 46 million American adults (23% of the population) were current smokers. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US for both men and women. Eighty-seven percent of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to tobacco use. Tobacco cessation has a powerful effect on reducing the risk of many cancers and improves clinical outcomes of patients treated for cancer. There is strong evidence that advice and assistance in the clinical setting promotes tobacco cessation in patients yet cessation is not well integrated into clinical practice in the U.S.

Objectives. To identify potential opportunities for tobacco cessation interventions in patients with tobacco-related cancers.

Design. Retrospective medical record review of a cohort of all cancers at one hospital diagnosed in 2005 with a potential causal link to tobacco.

Setting. An inner-city tertiary care hospital serving a highly diverse minority population with an annual incidence of over 500 cancers potentially related to tobacco.

Research questions: 1) What percent of these cancers occurred in tobacco-users? 2) What opportunities at this site existed for tobacco cessation interventions prior to the diagnosis of cancer?

Results: Preliminary findings locate frequent opportunities for tobacco cessation activities within this hospital.