Cigarette smoking patterns in patients after treatment of bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of smoking status and identification of those most likely to continue smoking are important in the management of patients who have bladder cancer, because continued smoking following diagnosis and treatment increases the likelihood of treatment-related complications, recurrence, second primary malignancies, and morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Patients (n = 224) receiving follow-up care of previously treated bladder cancers completed a brief written survey assessing their post-diagnosis smoking patterns. RESULTS: Despite the risks of continued smoking, 69% of the patients who had been active smokers at the time of diagnosis (n = 84) reported smoking at some point following the diagnosis and 45% reported smoking at the time of assessment. Patients diagnosed at earlier stages were more likely to continue smoking. Patients diagnosed at later stages were 2.80 times more likely to be continuous abstainers than those diagnosed sooner (95% CI, 1.08-7.25). CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the need to assess smoking status and provide smoking-cessation advice and counseling within routine comprehensive care of bladder cancer patients.