Smoking cessation contributes to weight gain in patients with hepatobiliopancreatic malignancy

Abstract

The relationship between smoking cessation and weight gain is well recognized. However, there is no data currently available on the effect of smoking cessation on weight gain in patients with malignancy. The aim of this study was to clarify the body weight (BW) change after smoking cessation in patients with malignancy. We retrospectively analyzed 159 subjects who underwent hepatobiliopancreatic surgery. The smoking status was determined using questionnaires administered at the initial presentation, and the candidates were divided into two groups: recent quitters and nonsmokers. The change in the BW was compared between these two groups. There were 134 subjects with malignant disease (84.3%), with a median age of 68 (range: 26-84) years. In the nonsmoker group, 28 of 116 subjects (24.1%) gained weight between the initial presentation and admission. In the recent quitter group, 12 of 18 subjects (66.7%) gained weight in the same period (P<0.01). Regarding the change in the BW from the initial presentation, recent quitters gained more weight than nonsmokers (+1.7kg [+2.7%] vs.-1.0kg [-2.0%], P<0.01). Furthermore, the improvement from the initial presentation was seen in a higher percentage of recent quitters than nonsmokers with respect to Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (61.1% vs. 36.2%, P=0.04) and the controlling nutritional status score (38.9% vs. 19.3%, P=0.07). Weight gain due to smoking cessation was observed even in patients with hepatobiliopancreatic malignancy.