Abstract P6-05-31: Early integrated rehabilitation helps smoking cessation in 467 breast cancer patients – a comparison between the intervention and control group in a prospective study
Authors: Besic Nikola , Mavric Zlatka , Mozetic Anamarija , Zagar Tina , Homar Vesna , Gucek Nena Kopcavar , Smrdel Andreja Cirila Skufca , Knific Jana , Borstnar Simona , Borovcic Mateja Kurir , Zaletel Lorna Zadravec , Kos Natasa , Strazisar Branka , Mlakar Denis Mastnak , Kovacevic Nina , Hadzic Vedran , Pelhan Bojan , Sremec Marko , Rozman Tina , Cencelj-Arnez Romi 
Published: March 2023

Background: Tobacco related illnesses are important public health issues worldwide. Cigarette smoking effects cancer risk and cardiovascular risk. Smoking cessation confers substantial benefits on health. Our aim was to determine whether the early introduction of integrated rehabilitation from the beginning of cancer treatment is associated with the smoking cessation in breast cancer patients. Material and Methods: The subjects of our prospective study were 467 female breast cancer patients (29-65 (mean 52) years of age), who participated in the pilot study on the individualized integrated rehabilitation of breast cancer patients in 2019-2022 and were followed for at least one year. The control group included 282 patients and the intervention group 185 patients. The patients completed three questionnaires (EORTC QLQ - C30, B23 and NCCN) before and one year after the beginning of cancer treatment. The control group obtained the same rehabilitation as was offered to all breast cancer patients in our hospital before the start of our prospective study. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team reviewed the documentation of all the patients from the intervention group before and one year after the beginning of cancer treatment and recommended appropriate interventions according to the patient’s difficulties. The integrated rehabilitation coordinator referred patients for additional interventions in compliance with the institute’s clinical pathway (psychologist, general practitioner, clinical nutritionist, physical rehabilitation, kinesiologist-guided online exercises, gynecologist, analgesia, vocational rehabilitation). Smokers were referred to a smoking cessation workshop organized by a health promotion center within community health centres. Data on the patients’ demographics, disease extent, cancer treatment and prevalence of tobacco smoking before and one year after the beginning of cancer treatment were collected and analysed using the chi-square and ANOVA test. Results: There were no differences between the control and the intervention group of patients in terms of age, education, disease extent, surgical procedures, systemic cancer treatment, or radiotherapy. There were no differences between the groups in the prevalence of smoking before the treatment. Before the cancer treatment, smoking was present in the intervention and control group in 22% and 27% (p=0.22), respectively. However, one year after the beginning of cancer treatment, smoking was less common in the intervention group in comparison to the control group of patients (p=0.004). Smoking was present in the intervention and control group in 10% and 20%, respectively. Conclusions: Early integrated rehabilitation helps the smoking cessation in breast cancer patients.

Citation Format: Nikola Besic, Zlatka Mavric, Anamarija Mozetic, Tina Zagar, Vesna Homar, Nena Kopcavar Gucek, Andreja Cirila Skufca Smrdel, Jana Knific, Simona Borstnar, Mateja Kurir Borovcic, Lorna Zadravec Zaletel, Natasa Kos, Branka Strazisar, Denis Mastnak Mlakar, Nina Kovacevic, Vedran Hadzic, Bojan Pelhan, Marko Sremec, Tina Rozman, Romi Cencelj-Arnez. Early integrated rehabilitation helps smoking cessation in 467 breast cancer patients – a comparison between the intervention and control group in a prospective study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-31.