Study examines costs of cancer treatment associated with continued smoking

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Apr 8 2019

This study was an economic evaluation and it used a model to examine the costs of subsequent cancer treatment associated with continued smoking by patients after their initial cancer treatment failed.

The model was developed to consider a host of factors, including expected initial treatment failure rates in nonsmoking patients, how common smoking was, and the cost of cancer treatment after initial treatment failed. The analysis conservatively suggests continued smoking by patients with cancer adds nearly $11,000 per smoking patient in treatment costs after the initial cancer treatment failed. The model has limitations and didn't quantify the potential benefits of smoking cessation.