Cancer of the head and neck: smoking multiplied by more than three mortality risk

A history of smoking greatly affect the survival of patients with cancer of the head and neck, highlight researchers in a study published in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology."

This study is the first to compare the survival of patients with head and neck in terms of their relationship to tobacco. It thus provides a more accurate assessment of the relationship between smoking status and survival by limiting the possible influence of other risk factors.

Because if the relative risk of developing cancer of the head and neck is 3-12 times higher in smokers than non-smokers, the impact of smoking on the consequences of the disease is poorly understood. Work done in the past have not really measured the effect of smoking on survival for non-smokers who develop the disease usually present socio-demographic differences compared to patients who have a history of smoking or still smoke.

"This work supports the idea suggested in previous studies that there are molecular differences between tumors of smokers and non-smokers may reflect two distinct types of cancer of the head and neck," says Dr. Erich Sturgis, specialist Anderson Cancer Center in Texas.

From a database of more than 500 patients with cancer of the head and neck has been recently diagnosed and has not been subject to any treatment, the authors selected 83 non-smokers to each paired with a smoker have the same age, same sex, with a tumor of the same location at the same stage of the disease, and with the same medication history.

Several other factors, such as alcohol abuse, comorbidities and symptoms associated with cancer including weight loss, ear pain and difficulty swallowing were not included as matching criteria but all of even were considered in order to assess their impact on survival.

The researchers have gathered 50 pairs of cancer patients.

They found that the risk of overall mortality, the risk of death due to the disease and the risk of recurrence were respectively multiplied by 3.5, 3.98 and 3.29 in patients who had a history of smoking compared to those who had none.

They therefore support the campaigns of incitement to stop smoking and moderate alcohol consumption and urge patients to monitor their symptoms of cancer and comorbidities that would likely have to improve their quality of life and increase their chances of survival.