What do patients with urothelial cancer know about the association of their tumor disease with smoking habits? Results of a German survey study

PURPOSE: Smoking represents a primary risk factor for the development of urothelial carcinoma (UC) and a relevant factor impacting UC-specific prognosis. Data on the accordant knowledge of UC-patients in this regard and the significance of physicians in the education of UC-patients is limited. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-eight UC-patients were enrolled in a 23-items-survey-study aimed to analyse patient knowledge and awareness of their tumor disease with smoking along with physician smoking cessation counselling. RESULTS: The median age of the study patients was 69 years; 26.1% (n=23), 46.6% (n=41), and 27.3% (n=24), respectively, were non-smokers, previous, and active smokers. Exactly 50% of active smokers reported a previous communication with a physician about the association of smoking and their tumor disease; however, only 25.0% were aware of smoking as main risk factor for UC development. Merely 33% of the active smokers had been prompted directly by their physicians to quit smoking. About 42% of active smokers had received the information that maintaining smoking could result in a tumor-specific impairment of their prognosis. Closely 29% of active and about 5% of previous smokers (during the time-period of active smoking) had been offered support from physicians for smoking cessation. No association was found between smoking anamnesis (p=0.574) and pack-years (p=0.912), respectively, and tumor stage of UC. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the medical conversation of physicians with UC-patients about the adverse significance of smoking is limited. Implementation of structured educational programs for smoking cessation may be an opportunity to further enhance comprehensive cancer care.