Smoking intervention in subjects at risk of asbestos-related lung cancer

Abstract

A smoking intervention counseling program was applied among asbestos‐exposed male smokers younger than 65 years of age to examine the effect of an intervention based on risk communication. Intervention subjects (n = 431) were invited to a health status checkup combined with physician‐delivered smoking intervention counseling. Control subjects (n = 141) received no intervention. After 1 year, 5% of the responders in the intervention group, versus 3.4% in the control group, had stopped smoking. Corresponding conservative estimates were 3.5% and 2.6%, respectively. The quitters had been exposed to a higher “dose” of asbestos but had smoked less, and for a shorter period, than had the continuing smokers. Counseling by a general physician increased successful quitting threefold, compared to counseling by a physician in a specialized institution. These results suggest a potential for smoking cessation among subjects at high risk of lung cancer due to asbestos exposure. General practice care may be an appropriate setting both for identification of such subjects and for intervention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:705–712, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Smoking Prevalence, Behaviour and Nicotine Addiction among Coal Workers in Zonguldak, Turkey

“…Waage et al examined smoking intervention in subjects at risk for asbestos-related lung cancer. They noted that subjects who received smoking cessation counselling had significantly higher long term quitting rates than the control group 21) .…”

Study of smoking behavior in asbestos workers*

“…These interventions help to increase self-ef®cacy in future quit attempts, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful smoking cessation. Waage et al [1997] examined smoking intervention in subjects at risk for asbestos-related lung cancer. They noted that subjects who received smoking cessation counseling had signi®cantly higher long term quit rates compared to the control group.…”

A Bayesian approach to assess interaction between known risk factors: the risk of lung cancer from exposure to asbestos and smoking

“…As outlined in the Section 1, our aim in this paper was to allow joint inferences to be made about the strength of evidence for an additive or multiplicative relation. Although the power transformation estimate from the relative risk model provides an appropriate (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) and overall. S is the synergy index, V the multiplicativity index, PM the probability of a multiplicative relation, and gamma is the power transformation estimate from Rlg (gamma = 0 (additive), gamma = 1 (multiplicative)).…”

“…From a public health perspective, evidence for a multiplicative relation between asbestos exposure and smoking has lead to recommendations for asbestos-exposed persons who currently smoke to stop, since cases of lung cancer induced by both exposures would be prevented, along with those induced by smoking alone. 11 In a legal context, a greater understanding of the nature of the combined effect has been required in the attribution of damages in cases where there is a history of exposure to both asbestos and smoking. 12 We illustrate a Bayesian approach to assessing interaction using evidence on the risk of lung cancer of exposure to asbestos and smoking.…”