Association of smoking behaviors and prognosis in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Tobacco smoking is an established risk factor associated with bladder cancer. The impact of smoking after a bladder cancer diagnosis is not clear. The prospective Be-Well Study of Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California investigated the association of smoking with recurrence risk in patients with a diagnosis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NIMBC). The study found that longer duration and more pack-years of cigarette smoking were associated with higher risk of NMIBC recurrence. Pipe, cigar, marijuana, and e-cigarette use were not associated with recurrence risk.