The Need for Nicotine De-addiction Services among Newly Diagnosed Tobacco-Related Head and Neck Cancer Patients, South India

Nagappa, Bharathnag; Thulasingam, Mahalakshmy; Pandjatcharam, Jagadesan; Ganesan, Sivaraman; Sakthivel, Manikandanesan; Sekhar Kar, Sitanshu

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.9.2901

The Need for Nicotine De-addiction Services among Newly Diagnosed Tobacco-Related Head and Neck Cancer Patients, South India

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.

² Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.

³ Department of Radiation Oncology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.

⁴ Department of ENT, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.

⁵ ICMR, National Institute of Epidemiology, Puducherry, India.

10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.9.2901

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the proportion of tobacco-related head and neck cancer patients in need of nicotine de-addiction services at the time of diagnosis and factors associated with it. Methods: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care center. Tobacco-related head and neck cancer patients with a past and present history of tobacco usage registered in cancer clinic from March 2016 to February 2017 were recruited. Participants were interviewed using a pretested and semi-structured questionnaire to gather information on the socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, and tobacco usage. Data were entered in EpiData v3.1 and analyzed using STATA v14. Results: Among 220 participants recruited in the study, 83% were males, 47% were >60 years of age, and 40% had no formal education. Around 49% were smoking tobacco during the treatment period, 41% used smokeless tobacco, and 10% used both smoking and smokeless. The majority (56%) of them had stage T4 tumors. Around 71% of participants required de-addiction services. Those of age more than 70 years (aRR (95%CI) 1.43 (1.1-1.9)), currently employed (aRR (95%CI) 1.5 (1.2-1.9)), living alone (aRR (95%CI) 1.6 (1.0-2.5)) or in a nuclear family (aRR (95%CI) 1.5 (1.2-2)), who initiated tobacco use at a younger age (aRR (95%CI) 1.5 (1.0-2.2) were in higher need of de-addiction services.Conclusion: The majority of tobacco-related head and neck cancer patients required nicotine de-addiction treatment. Hence de-addiction services should be established as an integral unit of cancer clinics.

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