Factors associated with continued smoking after treatment of oral cavity cancer: An age and survival time-matched study.

Aims: The aims of this study of people with oral cavity cancer were to compare the social support, depression, nicotine dependence, physical function and social-emotional function of those who continued smoking with those who quit smoking, by matching age and survival time and to identify the predictors of continued smoking during the survival period.

Background: People who continue to smoke after cancer treatment may have an impact on treatment response and survival.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted.

Methods: This study compared 92 people with oral cavity cancer who continued smoking with 92 people who quit smoking, with matching for age and survival time between January 2015 - November 2015. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to compare the two groups.

Results: The quit smoking group had significantly more social support, less depression and greater social-emotional function than the continued smoking group. People who were unmarried, received surgery without reconstruction, had poor social support and had poor social-emotional function were more likely to continue smoking.

Conclusions: People with oral cavity cancer were more likely to continue smoking after the treatment if they had low social support, depression, greater nicotine dependence and poor social-emotional function. Healthcare professionals should pay more attention to social support, psychological status and nicotine dependence of people who were treated for oral cavity cancer.