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Smoking withdrawal and relapse in head and neck cancer patients
Author(s) -
Gritz Ellen R.,
Schacherer Chris,
Koehly Laura,
Nielsen Ingrid R.,
Abemayor Elliot
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0347(199908)21:5<420::aid-hed7>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - medicine , smoking cessation , head and neck cancer , anxiety , intervention (counseling) , head and neck , nicotine replacement therapy , physical therapy , cancer , psychiatry , surgery , pathology
Background Smoking withdrawal and relapse were characterized among newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients participating in a physician‐delivered smoking cessation intervention. Methods Patients completed questionnaires at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 months following intervention delivery. Results Significant baseline predictors of smoking relapse included medical treatment (XRT versus surgical treatment), stage of change/readiness to quit (precontemplators), age of initiation (younger), and greater addiction (smoking ⩽30 minutes after waking). Relapsers were significantly more likely to quit using gradual reduction versus cold turkey and had less confidence in remaining quit. Relapsers experienced significantly higher levels of anxiety and craving during withdrawal. Relapse was temporally delayed compared with healthy populations. Conclusion Assistance with cessation efforts should be ongoing for one year and should include nicotine replacement therapy and psychotropic medications to address significant relapse triggers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 21: 420–427, 1999.