Investig Clin Urol.  2018 Mar;59(2):91-97. 10.4111/icu.2018.59.2.91.

What do patients with urothelial cancer know about the association of their tumor disease with smoking habits? Results of a German survey study

• May M
• Fritsche H
• Gilfrich C
• Dombrowski M
• Maurer O
• Spachmann
• Kumar MG
• Bjurlin M
• Burger M
• Brookman-May S

• KMID: 2404977
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4111/icu.2018.59.2.91

Abstract

PURPOSE
Smoking represents a primary risk factor for the development of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and a relevant factor impacting UC-specific prognosis. Data on the accordant knowledge of UC-patients in this regard and the significance of physicians in the education of UC-patients is limited.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eighty-eight UC-patients were enrolled in a 23-items-survey-study aimed to analyse patient knowledge and awareness of their tumor disease with smoking along with physician smoking cessation counselling.
RESULTS
The median age of the study patients was 69 years; 26.1% (n=23), 46.6% (n=41), and 27.3% (n=24), respectively, were non-smokers, previous, and active smokers. Exactly 50% of active smokers reported a previous communication with a physician about the association of smoking and their tumor disease; however, only 25.0% were aware of smoking as main risk factor for UC development. Merely 33% of the active smokers had been prompted directly by their physicians to quit smoking. About 42% of active smokers had received the information that maintaining smoking could result in a tumor-specific impairment of their prognosis. Closely 29% of active and about 5% of previous smokers (during the time-period of active smoking) had been offered support from physicians for smoking cessation. No association was found between smoking anamnesis (p=0.574) and pack-years (p=0.912), respectively, and tumor stage of UC.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that the medical conversation of physicians with UC-patients about the adverse significance of smoking is limited. Implementation of structured educational programs for smoking cessation may be an opportunity to further enhance comprehensive cancer care.

Keyword

Cigarette smoking; Health facility planning; Neoplasm staging; Surveys and questionnaires; Urinary bladder neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Education
Health Facility Planning
Humans
Neoplasm Staging
Prognosis
Risk Factors
Smoke*
Smoking Cessation
Smoking*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms
Smoke

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Results of multivariate regression analysis for the impact of smoking status (active or previous smokers vs. non-smoker) on tumor stage (presence of muscle-invasive and/or metastatic urothelial carcinoma). OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; BMI, body mass index; ref., reference; NS, non-smoker.

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