A smoking cessation program as a resource for bladder cancer patients
Background: Continued tobacco use following a bladder cancer(CaB) diagnosis puts patients at risk for other tobacco-associateddiseases and has also been associated with heightened risks oftreatment-related complications, tumour recurrence, morbidity andmortality. Our aim was to determine if patients with CaB who continueto smoke warrant a smoking cessation program as a resourcefor improving their prognosis and long-term health.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative questionnaire-based studywas performed between January and April 2009. We surveyedpatients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of CaB duringtheir cystoscopy appointments at a single cancer centre.Results: One hundred patients completed the survey with 72% ofthem admitting to smoking in their lifetime. A third of respondentssmoked at the time of their diagnosis; 76% of patients who hadbeen active smokers at the time of their diagnosis (n = 33) reportedsmoking at some point thereafter and 58% continued to smoke. Among continued smokers, they were classified in the following categories: 26% were in “precontemplation,” 5% in “contemplation,”16% in “preparation,” and 53% in “action;” 37% of patientswho continued to smoke were interested in a hospital-based smokingcessation program. Overall, 70% reported smoking as a risk factor for a poor CaB prognosis. The two most common barriersto quitting were “trouble managing stress and mood” and “fear ofgaining weight.”Conclusion: Based on the data from our centre, patients with CaBwho continue to smoke after their diagnosis warrant a smoking cessationprogram as a resource for improving prognosis and long-term health. Further research should focus on establishing an efficacious and cost-effective program that provides these patients with theresources they need to quit smoking.