Smoking behaviors often continued after treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Source: www.oncologynurseadvisor.com Author: Vicki Moore, PhD Many patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who were daily smokers at the time of diagnosis continued smoking following treatment, according to study results reported in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. The study was a prospective cohort analysis of patients treated at an academic tertiary care center from January 2009 through December 2017. Eligible patients had received a new diagnosis of HNSCC and were daily smokers at the time of diagnosis, with a habit of 5 cigarettes smoked per day for 5 or more years. The researchers performing the study collected demographic and clinical data for these patients, as well as data from patient reports of smoking-related behaviors. Those included in the study had 24 months of post-treatment follow-up data. A total of 89 smokers with HNSCC had completed follow-up and were included in the analysis. They had a mean age at enrollment of 60.1 years. Multiple racial and ethnic groups were represented in the study population. Approximately half of the patients had been treated with surgery (50.6%), while others received chemoradiotherapy (49.4%). The oropharynx was the primary tumor site in 39.3% of patients, compared with the larynx in 23.6% and the oral cavity in 22.5%. Patients had a mean smoking habit of 14.7±10.0 cigarettes smoked per day and a mean duration of 23.1±18.6 years of tobacco use. At 6 months after treatment, 58.4% of the patients continued smoking. The percentage of patients still smoking at 12 months was 52.8%, at [...]

Is poor survivorship care driving high second-cancer risk?

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Kristin Jenkins In the United States, men and women who survive adult-onset cancers for at least 5 years are at significantly increased risk of developing and dying from new primary cancers, particularly those driven by smoking and obesity, a new study shows. "This was disturbing but at the same time provides tremendous opportunities for cancer prevention and control, not only to mitigate the subsequent cancer risk but also to minimize comorbidities," lead author Hyuna Sung, PhD, of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, Georgia, told Medscape Medical News. "The importance of smoking cessation, weight control, physical activity, and other factors consonant with adoption of a healthy lifestyle should be consistently emphasized to cancer survivors," Sung said. Results from a retrospective analysis of the most recent Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from a cohort of 1.5 million survivors of first primary cancers (FPCs) show that male survivors — excluding those with prostate cancer — had a 45% higher risk of dying from any subsequent primary cancer (SPC) compared with men in the general population without a history of cancer. Female survivors had a 33% higher risk of any SPC-related mortality, the study authors report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A significant proportion of the total incidence and mortality from SPCs was made up of smoking- or obesity-associated SPCs, the analysis shows. "The risks of smoking-related SPCs were commonly elevated following many types of smoking-related FPCs, suggesting the role of smoking as a shared [...]

2020-12-30T11:53:06-07:00December, 2020|Oral Cancer News|

Canadian Dental Hygienists call for stronger tobacco control

Source: www.baytoday.ca Author: Kate Adams Canada’s Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) has resulted in significant reductions in the levels of tobacco use in Canada. This has led to our nation being recognized as a world leader in tobacco control. The Smoking Cessation Quitline is just one of many highly successful programs the federal government has supported to this end. Unfortunately, significant financial cuts are being made to the FTCS. The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) supports ongoing, stable funding for the FTCS in order to further reduce tobacco use levels in Canada. With the anticipated reduction in Health Canada’s tobacco control funding, Canada is at risk of reversing the downward trend in tobacco use. Elimination of the grants and contributions program will result in reduced involvement with non-profit partners who have made tobacco cessation a high priority. These partnerships are successful because partner organizations are uniquely equipped to meet the specialized health needs of different communities and priority populations across Canada. On a daily basis, dental hygienists see first-hand, the harmful impact of tobacco use on the mouth. CDHA’s president Arlynn Brodie says, “dental hygienists are committed to encouraging tobacco free lifestyles and to promoting cessation.” In many cases dental hygienists are the first to recognize signs of oral cancer from tobacco use, as well as tooth decay and abrasion caused by chewing tobacco. “All types of tobacco use have a negative impact on oral health,” adds Brodie, “dental hygienists focus on prevention and strongly believe continued investment in the [...]

A new state approach to reducing tobacco use

Source: www.indystar.com Author: Dr. Gregory N. Larkin This week, Indiana joined the rest of the world in celebrating World No Tobacco Day. This global health observation was created to teach people about the dangers of tobacco use and highlight public health efforts in the fight against the tobacco epidemic. World No Tobacco Day is of particular importance to Hoosiers this year. Beginning July 1, two state government agencies critical to protecting the health of Hoosiers will be combined: the Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. The General Assembly's move to put tobacco cessation within the health department provides additional tools for Indiana to catch up with other states in the race to lower smoking rates and tobacco-related illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 23 percent of Indiana adults smoke cigarettes, ranking us among the worst five states for adult smoking. Clearly, the adverse health effects of tobacco use continue to increase the rates of diseases as well as increase health costs. Combining efforts will reduce administrative redundancy and saving taxpayer dollars. Valuable ITPC programs, such as the community- and minority-based programs, the Indiana Tobacco Quitline, Quit Now Indiana and the VOICE youth program, will continue. Tobacco reduction and protection from secondhand smoke exposure will now be further integrated into many existing state health promotion programs, such as cancer prevention, oral health, asthma care, maternal/prenatal health, cardiovascular health, and minority, women's and children's health. I assure Hoosiers that by having the [...]

Medicare expands coverage of tobacco cessation

Source: thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch Author: Mike Lillis The Obama administration on Wednesday expanded Medicare to cover more seniors hoping to kick their tobacco habits. "Most Medicare beneficiaries want to quit their tobacco use," Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement announcing the move. "Now, [they] can get the help they need." Under previous rules, Medicare covered tobacco-related counseling only for beneficiaries already suffering from a tobacco-related disease. Under the new policy, Medicare will cover as many as two tobacco-cessation counseling tries each year, including as many as four individual sessions per attempt. The move is the latest in a string of White House efforts to shift the nation's healthcare system toward prevention, in lieu of simply treating diseases after they've developed. If successful, the new tobacco policy could pay dividends. Of the 46 million Americans estimated to smoke, about 4.5 million are seniors older than 65, HHS says. And nearly 1 million more smokers are younger than 65, but eligible for Medicare benefits. They aren't cheap. Tobacco-related diseases are estimated to cost Medicare about $800 billion between 1995 and 2015. Donald Berwick, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the expansion lends seniors valuable help "to avoid the painful — and often deadly — consequences of tobacco use." The change affects Medicare Parts A and B — hospital care and physician services — but not Part D, which already covers smoking-cessation drugs for all beneficiaries.

Department of Defense tackles tough task in separating fact from fiction about smokeless tobacco

Source: www.eielson.af.mil Author: staff The hard truth about smokeless tobacco is hardly classified intelligence, but sorting out reality versus fantasy takes some maneuvering amid the mountain of information--and misinformation--that abounds. In observance of the Great American Spit Out, Feb. 19, and Through With Chew Week, Feb. 15 through 21, the U.S. Department of Defense is targeting smokeless tobacco as part of its Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone Proud tobacco cessation campaign. At the campaign's official Web site, http://www.youcanquit2.org, there's accurate and easy-to-digest information that sets the record straight on smokeless--spit, chewing, snuff and "dip"-- tobacco. Debunking the myths Myth: Smokeless tobacco products are a safe alternative to tobacco smoking. Fact: Here is the bottom line--smokeless is not harmless. The list of serious illnesses connected to any form of smokeless tobacco is almost too long to print, but includes mouth cancer, cancer of the pancreas, tooth loss, and bone loss around the roots of teeth. Myth: Smokeless tobacco contains less nicotine than cigarettes. Fact: The amount of nicotine absorbed from a can of spit tobacco is equal to the amount delivered by three to four packs of cigarettes. Nicotine is absorbed more slowly from smokeless tobacco than from cigarettes, but more nicotine per dose is absorbed from smokeless tobacco than from cigarettes. Also, the nicotine stays in the bloodstream longer. Myth: Nicotine and all the other poisons disappear when you spit out the tobacco. Fact: When chewers place snuff or smokeless tobacco in their mouth, cheek, or lip, they give nicotine a free [...]

2009-02-23T07:54:12-07:00February, 2009|Oral Cancer News|
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