IASLC Position Statement on the Documentation of Tobacco Use in Cancer Clinical Trials-IASLC Position Statement on the Documentation of Tobacco Use in Cancer Clinical Trials

IASLC Position Statement on the Documentation of Tobacco Use in Cancer Clinical Trials

Pdf Summary

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has issued a position statement emphasizing the importance of documenting tobacco use in cancer clinical trials. The statement highlights the negative impact of smoking on cancer patients, including increased mortality, treatment toxicity, and decreased quality-of-life. It also emphasizes that smoking cessation after a cancer diagnosis is associated with improved survival. Tobacco use can directly harm patients by increasing postoperative complications and mortality, and interfering with the effectiveness of cancer therapies such as radiotherapy and systemic treatments.<br /><br />The IASLC recommends collecting standardized information on tobacco use at cancer diagnosis and throughout clinical trials using validated questionnaires. This includes documenting the use of alternative tobacco products like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products and tracking methods of smoking cessation and their effectiveness. The statement also suggests verifying smoking status through biochemical measures when possible. It is crucial to analyze the impact of tobacco use on clinical trial outcomes, including response rate, survival, treatment-related toxicity, adverse events, compliance with trial procedures, and quality-of-life.<br /><br />The statement acknowledges that current smoking status is often not well-documented in clinical trials and calls for improved collection of smoking data. It also highlights the need for further research to address the impact of continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis and to determine the clinical benefits of smoking cessation. The potential association between the use of alternative tobacco products and cancer risk and treatment outcomes is also emphasized, with a call to collect data on their use in cancer treatment trials.<br /><br />Overall, the IASLC position statement emphasizes the importance of documenting tobacco use in cancer clinical trials to accurately assess the benefits and harms of cancer treatment. It provides recommendations for standardized documentation and analysis of tobacco use in clinical trials and highlights the need for further research in this area.

Keywords

IASLC

tobacco use

cancer clinical trials

smoking

mortality

treatment toxicity

quality-of-life

smoking cessation

alternative tobacco products

biochemical measures