Smoking compromises cause-specific survival in patients with operable colorectal cancer

A. J. Munro, A. H. M. Bentley, C. Ackland, P. J. Boyle

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Aims: To assess whether active smoking compromises survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

    Materials and methods: We studied a regionally based cohort of 284 consecutive patients referred to the Tayside Cancer Centre for consideration of adjuvant treatment after curative surgery for colorectal cancer.

    Results: Cause-specific survival was significantly worse (P = 0.0015) in patients who were actively smoking at the time of their first post-operative visit. The absolute difference in 5-year cause-specific survival (active smokers vs the rest) was 21%. In adjusted multi-variate analysis of patients after pathologically complete (RO) resection, the hazard ratio was 2.55 (95% confidence interval 1.40-4.64) in active smokers compared with non-smokers. T stage, number of positive nodes and co-morbidity score were also of independent prognostic influence.

    Conclusions: Persistent smoking was, in this small series, an important and independent predictor of cancer-related death after surgery for cancer of the large bowel. Because smoking and deprivation are related, some of the adverse effects of deprivation upon survival in this group of patients may be explained by smoking behaviour.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)436-440
    Number of pages5
    JournalClinical Oncology
    Volume18
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Aug 2006

    Keywords

    • colorectal cancer
    • co-morbidity
    • smoking
    • socio-economic deprivation
    • survival
    • CIGARETTE-SMOKING
    • TUMOR-GROWTH
    • LUNG-CANCER
    • DEPRIVATION
    • RADIATION
    • HYPOXIA
    • HYPERMETHYLATION
    • CARCINOGENESIS
    • ANGIOGENESIS
    • COMORBIDITY

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Smoking compromises cause-specific survival in patients with operable colorectal cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this