Landmark Study reveals Quitting Smoking dramatically Improves Cancer Patient Survival, Even Late-Stage
ST. LOUIS,MO – New research from Washington University School of Medicine and Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center is delivering a powerful message of hope to cancer patients: it’s never too late to quit smoking. The study, examining outcomes for over 13,000 cancer patients, demonstrates a significant link between smoking cessation and increased lifespan, even after a cancer diagnosis and in advanced stages of the disease.
The research, conducted on patients treated between June and December 2018, found that approximately 25% were still smoking when beginning cancer treatment. However, those who successfully quit within six months of starting treatment experienced a markedly higher two-year survival rate of 85%, compared to 74% for those who continued to smoke.
The impact was even more pronounced for patients with advanced-stage cancers. The study revealed that individuals who quit smoking could live twice as long as those who continued the habit.
“Some doctors do not give strong advice to quit smoking for patients whose life expectancy seems short,” explained Dr. Steven Tohmasi, the study’s first author. “But when we share our data, quitting smoking becomes a source of hope for these patients. An additional year is a long time for someone who was told they only had a few months to live.”
Researchers emphasize that smoking cessation should be considered a fundamental component of cancer care – a “fourth leg” of treatment, according to dr. Li-Shiun Chen, the study’s senior author. “We hope to ensure that smoking cessation support is integrated into routine cancer care by showing that it is never too late, even for the most advanced-stage patients,” she stated.
to facilitate this integration, the research team developed ELEVATE (Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation Treatment Based on Electronic Patient Records), a system designed to proactively identify smoking patients and alert their physicians. This allows for immediate access to resources like nicotine replacement therapy and text message-based counseling, making cessation support a standard part of the treatment process. Prior to ELEVATE, these conversations were often overlooked amidst the focus on tumor screenings and drug therapies.
Of the 13,282 patients analyzed, 1,725 were active smokers. While only 22% of these patients were able to quit within six months,their survival rates were dramatically improved. Even after accounting for factors like age, gender, cancer type, and stage, the study found that the risk of death for continuing smokers was a staggering 97% higher than for those who quit.
“Smoking increases the risk of death nonetheless of cancer type or stage. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of death even after diagnosis or in advanced-stage patients,” the researchers concluded. This groundbreaking research underscores the critical importance of addressing tobacco use as an integral part of comprehensive cancer care.
