4502 - Tobacco use in lung cáncer (LC) patients (p) in Spain

Background

Tobacco use, mainly as cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of lung cancer. Eighty-five percent of LC occur in smokers. Understanding the Spanish smoking habits allows the government to design health care policies against this consumption. To do so, the Grupo Español de Cáncer de Pulmón (Spanish Lung Cancer Group) made this analysis within the context of the Thoracic Tumor Registry (TTR).

Methods

The TTR is an observational cohort multicenter study in Spain. The study is conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the institutional review board of each participating site. The registry was approved by the Spanish Drug Agency, as a non-post-authorization, non-interventional study.

Results

Data have been collected from 6,600 LC from 58 different hospital sites across Spain. 12% (866 p) were non-smokers, 46% (3,039 p) were former smokers and 39% (2,611 p) were smokers. There were significant differences by gender, more women were non-smokers (37 % vs. 45% in males), meanwhile more former smokers were male (53.4% vs. 27.9% in women) (p-valor < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed in the study on the distribution of the smoking habit by year of diagnosis. In the last two years, the percentage of active smokers increased, both for the total population, as well as, for each one of the two genders separately. The increase was greater among the women and, also, the number of women who are active smokers is greater in recent years. Mean age of onset of the smoking habit was 18.2 years. Mean initiation age was less for men, 17.9 years in the men (95%CI 17.6-18.2 years) and 19.2 years in the women (95%CI 18.5-19.8 years) (p-valor < 0.001). Finally, it was found significant differences between Regional Communities in the mean age at onset of the habit, with much lower levels in the Valencian Community (16.6 years) or Navarra (16.9 years) regarding other regions, such as Murcia (22.9 years) or the Balearic Islands (21.6 years).

Conclusions

Tobacco use is the leading cause of LC in Spain accounting 85% of the cases. Consumption has increased in both genders, but specially in women, in our country among lung cancer patients. Tobacco cessation campaigns, especially in women, should be a priority in western countries, like Spain, and it has to be adapted to regional differences in tobacco use.

Clinical trial identification

NCT02941458.

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Spanish Lung Cancer Group.

Funding

Novartis, MSD, Lilly.

Disclosure

M. Provencio: Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: Boehringer Ingelheim. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.