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

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.