Comparison of Smoking Status for Cancer and Non-Cancer Individuals: A Population-based Study from NHANES 1999-2004

Growing evidence shows that continued smoking has adverse impacts on survival and prognosis for both smoking-related and nonsmoking-related cancer survivors. Little is known about smoking status in cancer survivors. The study objective is to compare smoking status for cancer and non-cancer populations. Using data from 1,381 overall cancer survivors and 13,893 non-cancer individuals who participated in the 6-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2004), we examined the distribution of smoking status between the two groups by taking demographic characteristics (age, gender, race, education, income and marital status) into account. All analyses were weighted to represent the United States population. The current smoking rate in the cancer group was significantly lower than the non-cancer group (19.2% vs. 25.3%). We observed that the current smoking rates decreased as age increased in both cancer and non-cancer populations. The significant interaction of age and cancer in the logistic model indicated that the degree of decreasing rate varied by age and cancer status. The current smoking rate of the cancer population is higher than the non-cancer population before age 55. For example, the current smoking rate for younger (≤35 years) cancer survivors and non-cancer individuals were 53.9% and 30%, respectively. In general, the demographic profiles for cancer and non-cancer populations were similar, but the gender difference only exists in the non-cancer population (Male/Female OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.43-1.79). More efforts in smoking cessation need to be made among younger cancer survivors, despite gender, to improve their quality of life, mortality and health status.