History of smoking and long term outcome in head and neck cancer patients.

A new study by Peterson and colleagues investigated associations between a history of tobacco use and survival outcomes. The researchers from  the Department of Otolaryngology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan surveyed 687 previously untreated patients with cancer of the oral cavity (n = 271), oropharynx (n = 257), larynx (n = 135), or hypopharynx (n = 24). They explored the associations of tobacco use intensity (packs/day), duration (years of use), and timing before diagnosis with overall survival, disease-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival.

The study showed that cigarette use duration, timing, and intensity were significant predictors for all adverse outcomes. Never smoking and pack-years were not significantly associated with outcomes after adjustment for prognostic factors, such as stage, comorbidities, and human papillomavirus (HPV) status, which were strongly associated with clinical outcomes.

The authors concluded that their findings confirm the association between smoking history and survival and the importance of clinical variables in evaluating smoking as a prognostic factor. They also stated that timing, intensity, and duration of cigarette use should be considered with other prognostic factors when considering risk stratification for treatment planning.