Purpose: Cigarette smoking is the leading modifiable risk factor for several genitourinary malignancies. Although smoking cessation after genitourinary cancer diagnosis is a critical component of survivorship, factors related to continued smoking are under studied.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2014-2018). Our primary study outcome was the prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking among adults with a history of smoking-related (kidney or bladder) urological cancer compared to a nonsmoking-related control (prostate cancer). We used regression analyses to assess the association of having a smoking-related genitourinary cancer history with continued cigarette smoking after diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were yearly smoking trends, quit attempts and reported receipt of smoking cessation counseling.
Results: A total of 2,664 respondents reported a history of genitourinary cancer, representing weighted estimates of 990,820 (smoking-related genitourinary cancer) and 2,616,596 (prostate cancer) adults. Survivors of smoking-related genitourinary cancers had a significantly higher overall prevalence of current cigarette use (14.8% vs 8.6%, p <0.001) and also reported more frequent receipt of counseling (79.8% vs 66.2%, p=0.02) but did not attempt to quit any more often than those with prostate cancer (52.4% vs 47.2%, p=0.44). Time trends demonstrated stable and persistent cigarette use among survivors of all genitourinary cancers. After adjustment for sociodemographic confounders, cancer type was not associated with current cigarette smoking (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.86-1.77). However, older age and more advanced educational attainment were associated with lower odds of current cigarette smoking, while single marital status was associated with higher odds.
Conclusions: In this population-based cross-sectional study of survivors of genitourinary cancers, those with a reported smoking-related genitourinary cancer had a higher prevalence of current cigarette smoking compared to those with prostate cancer, our nonsmoking-related control. Those with smoking-related genitourinary cancers reported more frequent receipt of smoking cessation counseling.
Keywords: neoplasms; smoking; smoking cessation; tobacco products; urology.