In a groundbreaking study published in the October 2025 issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (JNCCN), researchers have unveiled compelling evidence that cessation of smoking following a cancer diagnosis dramatically decreases mortality risk across all cancer types and stages. This comprehensive investigation tracks over 13,000 cancer patients and provides robust real-world data confirming that quitting smoking significantly extends survivorship, even among those with advanced malignancies.
The study, conducted by a multidisciplinary team at the Siteman Cancer Center affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, involved monitoring patients’ smoking status over six months following their initial oncology clinic visit. Among the cohort, 13% identified as current smokers at baseline, and out of these individuals, 22.1% successfully quit within six months. Strikingly, patients who continued smoking exhibited a 97% higher risk of death within two years compared to their counterparts who quit, underscoring the profound impact of smoking cessation on cancer prognosis.
This investigation gains particular significance in the context of introducing the ELEVATE system—a pioneering electronic health record (EHR)-integrated tool developed under the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Cancer Moonshot program’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I). ELEVATE streamlines the process of systematically assessing smoking status and deploying effective cessation interventions during oncology care encounters. The synchronization of this program-wide tool with routine cancer treatment exemplifies a transformative approach toward embedding tobacco cessation as a fundamental aspect of comprehensive cancer management.
Dr. Steven Tohmasi, MD, MPHS, the lead author, emphasizes that the magnitude of survival benefit observed rivals, and in some cases exceeds, that afforded by some chemotherapies. He advocates for positioning smoking cessation as the fourth pillar of cancer care, alongside surgery, radiation, and systemic therapies. Dr. Tohmasi stresses that incorporating cessation support directly into oncology treatment algorithms promises not only to prolong life but also to enhance patients’ quality of life, delivering truly holistic care.
Furthermore, senior co-author Dr. Li-Shiun Chen, MD, MPH, ScD, highlights that cessation benefits extend even to patients with late-stage cancer (stages III and IV), dismantling the misconception that it is “too late” or futile to quit smoking after a severe diagnosis. Dr. Chen’s insights support a paradigm shift wherein tobacco cessation is normalized as a standard therapeutic intervention, integrated ubiquitously across all stages of cancer care.
The study’s methodology blends rigorous observational design with pragmatic clinical implementation, encompassing a diverse population that reflects real-world oncology practice. Researchers captured longitudinal survival data, correlated with self-reported smoking cessation status, and adjusted for variables such as cancer type, stage, and treatment modalities. By deploying the ELEVATE system, oncologists received prompt alerts and streamlined workflows to assess readiness to quit and implement evidence-based interventions, including pharmacotherapy and behavioral counseling.
These findings resonate with existing literature establishing tobacco use as a potent carcinogen and a driver of treatment complications but extend this knowledge by quantifying the direct survival benefits linked to quitting during survivorship. Despite these benefits, the low cessation rate of approximately 20% within six months signals a critical need for enhanced engagement strategies. Barriers include nicotine addiction severity, psychosocial challenges, and insufficient integration of cessation support into oncology workflows.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) plays a pivotal role by providing rigorously developed guidelines that offer clinicians structured protocols for tobacco assessment and intervention. The NCCN Guidelines for Smoking Cessation translate scientific evidence into actionable clinical pathways, ranging from assessing patient readiness and motivation to recommending FDA-approved cessation medications and delivering tailored counseling services.
Complementing provider-focused resources, the NCCN also publishes patient-centric materials designed to empower individuals with accessible, comprehensible information encouraging sustained quit attempts between clinic visits. These dual streams of resources aim to foster a cohesive cessation ecosystem within cancer care settings, facilitating a culture where quitting smoking is universally expected and supported.
Outside commentary from Dr. James M. Davis, MD, Associate Professor at Duke Cancer Institute and an NCCN Smoking Cessation Guidelines panel member, recognizes the study’s impressive demonstration of a two-fold reduction in all-cause mortality among quitters. While emphasizing the observational nature of the research precludes definitive causal inference, Dr. Davis acknowledges that the magnitude of this association aligns with extensive prior evidence implicating smoking as deleterious to cancer outcomes.
This pivotal research not only confirms that smoking cessation can significantly lower mortality risk but also underscores an urgent imperative to embed tobacco treatment into routine oncology protocols. As tobacco use remains a modifiable risk factor, its continuation undermines the efficacy of advanced cancer therapeutics and compromises patient survival.
In light of these findings, the cancer care community is called to action to leverage electronic health technologies like ELEVATE and adhere to NCCN’s evidence-based guidelines to systematically address tobacco dependence. Initiating cessation interventions promptly at diagnosis and sustaining support throughout the treatment continuum could redefine survivorship trajectories and improve long-term outcomes for millions of patients worldwide.
To delve deeper into this influential study entitled “Smoking Cessation and Mortality Risk in Cancer Survivorship: Real-World Data From a National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center,” readers are encouraged to access the full text via JNCCN at JNCCN.org.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Smoking Cessation and Mortality Risk in Cancer Survivorship: Real-World Data From a National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center
News Publication Date: 9-Oct-2025
Web References:
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
NCCN Guidelines for Smoking Cessation
NCCN Patient Guidelines for Quitting Smoking
References:
Tohmasi et al., “Smoking Cessation and Mortality Risk in Cancer Survivorship,” JNCCN, 2025; DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2025.7059
Image Credits: NCCN
Keywords: Cancer, Health and medicine, Cancer research, Cancer treatments, Oncology, Behavior modification, Behavioral addiction
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