Summer 2024 News You Can Use Resources News You Can Use Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Texas Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPCP) Releases New Reducing E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults Toolkit for Health Care Providers The DSHS TPCP recently released the new Reducing E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults Toolkit for Health Care Providers. It promotes the Ask-Counsel-Treat method and provides information on youth and young adult e-cigarette and vaping use as well as cessation resources available to Texans. It also offers flexibility for different provider practices, supports youth and young adult patient needs, and seeks to accommodate the busiest health care provider. This toolkit was a collaborative effort by the DSHS TPCP, DSHS Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and Cancer Alliance of Texas’ Tobacco Control Priority Area Workgroup. While this toolkit can be used as a standalone resource, it was developed in part to complement the Baylor College of Medicine’s (BCM) From Vapes to Victory: Empowering Teens to Overcome Vaping interactive training module. The toolkit can be found on the DSHS TPCP webpage under Communications and Media. DSHS Texas Asthma Control Program Awarded New Four-Year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement The DSHS Texas Asthma Control Program was recently awarded the CDC Advancing Health Equity in Asthma Control through EXHALE Strategies cooperative agreement. This funding will allow the Texas Asthma Control Program to continue its efforts aimed at reducing the burden of asthma across the state, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The DSHS TPCP has a close partnership with the DSHS Texas Ashma Control Program. The programs look forward to continuing their joint efforts to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, a significant asthma trigger, and connect Texans to cessation services. Federal Multi-Agency Task Force to Curb the Distribution and Sale of Illegal E-Cigarettes In June 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the creation of a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. Along with the DOJ and FDA, the task force brings together multiple law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Federal Trade Commission, to coordinate and streamline efforts to bring all available criminal and civil tools to bear against the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes responsible for nicotine addiction among youth in the U.S. Learn more about the task force from the FDA’s press release. New JUUL Labs Documents Available on the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library The University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) Industry Documents Library added 289,868 new JUUL Labs documents to the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library, bringing the total number of publicly available previously secret JUUL documents to 1,870,542. There are about two million JUUL documents from the North Carolina settlement to be loaded and another two million documents from other state cases. To access the documents, visit the UCSF Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library website. FDA Warns Six Online Retailers for Selling Unauthorized E-Liquids Resembling Prescription Drug Bottles In June 2024, the FDA issued warning letters to six online retailers for selling unauthorized e-liquid products from the Bad Drip brand that imitate prescription drug bottles. The retailers were also warned for selling unauthorized flavored, disposable e-cigarettes, including those under the brand names Funky Republic and HQD. For more information, view the FDA’s press release. Adult Smoking Cessation — United States, 2022 The CDC recently published a study where they assessed national estimates of cigarette smoking cessation indicators among U.S. adults using 2022 National Health Interview Survey data. The study found that approximately two thirds (67.7%) of the 28.8 million U.S. adults who smoked wanted to quit, and approximately one half (53.3%) made a quit attempt, but only 8.8% quit smoking in 2022. Among those who tried to quit, 38.3% used treatment (i.e., counseling or medication). Adults who usually smoked menthol (versus non-menthol) cigarettes had a higher prevalence of quitting interest (72.2% versus 65.4%), higher prevalence of past-year quit attempts (57.3% versus 50.4%), lower prevalence of receiving quit advice (48.2% versus 53.8%), lower prevalence of using cessation treatment (35.2% versus 41.5%), but similar prevalence of quit success (9.5% versus 7.9%). The Long-Term Impact of the Tips From Former Smokers Campaign on Calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW, 2012–2023 In July 2024, the CDC published a new study in Nicotine and Tobacco Research. The study found that from 2012 through 2023, exposure to CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign generated more than two million additional calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW. It also shows that exposure to the campaign has consistently and significantly increased calls to the national tobacco quitline portal, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, and supports continued use of mass media to promote quitlines. Tobacco Quitline Staffs’ Knowledge and Attitudes About Connecting Quitline Callers to Lung Cancer Screening Educational Materials A recent study published in Cancer Medicine evaluated the impact of training quitline staff in lung cancer screening. It found that receiving training about lung cancer screening eligibility and the benefits and harms of screening improved lung cancer screening knowledge among quitline staff. The study also describes how quitline staff found that connecting callers with lung cancer screening educational materials is acceptable, appropriate, and feasible, and aligned with their primary mission. Proportion and Number of Cancer Cases and Deaths Attributable to Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors in the United States, 2019 In July 2024, the American Cancer Society published a new study on cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors. It found that 44% of all cancer deaths among U.S. adults were attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors. Cigarette smoking was the leading risk factor contributing to cancer cases and deaths overall (19.3% and 28.5%, respectively), followed by excess body weight (7.6% and 7.3%, respectively), and alcohol consumption (5.4% and 4.1%, respectively). Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program Course to be Held Virtually on September 16, 2024 – September 20, 2024 The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) will hold their next Certified Tobacco Treatment Training Program course virtually on September 16, 2024 – September 20, 2024. This five-day course is for individuals interested in becoming credentialed as a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Accredited by the Council for Tobacco Treatment Training Programs, the program offers the highest quality tobacco treatment training, based on the most up-to-date evidence in tobacco cessation research and treatment strategies. The cost is $1,100. Special discounts are available for professionals working in academic, government, non-profit, and limited resource settings. Continuing education credits are available for physicians, nurses, counselors, social workers, and health educators. Improving Tobacco Cessation: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Guidance and State Strategies Webinar The UCSF’s Smoking Cessation Leadership Center will be hosting the Improving Tobacco Cessation: CMS Guidance and State Strategies webinar on August 20, 2024 from 12:00-1:15 PM CT. The webinar will discuss how state Medicaid and CHIP agencies are working with health departments and health plans to improve delivery of tobacco cessation services to Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries and within health and behavioral health settings. Continuing education credits are available. Register for the webinar on the UCSF website. Resources Texas Say What Don’t Wait! Advocate! Training Module In July 2024, Texas Say What (Students, Adults, and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco) launched its new Don’t Wait! Advocate! training module. This online training module equips youth and adults alike with essential advocacy skills, guiding them to harness their voice to support causes that matter. Through this training, participants will learn skills for effective advocacy. There are a variety of self-paced activities to explore strengths, start community engagement, and prepare to create meaningful change. BCM From Vapes to Victory: Empowering Teens to Overcome Vaping Training BCM’s From Vapes to Victory: Empowering Teens to Overcome Vaping online training module helps health care providers apply the Act-Counsel-Treat method to address youth e-cigarette and vaping use. Through this free interactive training, health care providers will learn how to create impactful messages that resonate with teens and discourage e-cigarette use; formulate a plan for adolescent patients who are not prepared to quit yet; and develop a cessation and treatment plan for those who are ready to quit. Continuing medical education credits are available for physicians and advanced practice providers. Tobacco Control Network (TCN) Updates State Policy Map The TCN has updated their State Policy Map to reflect the policy landscape relating to tobacco and e-cigarette taxes, smokefree environments, T21 laws, preemption, JUUL settlements, Medicaid coverage, and more. CDC Tobacco Disparities Dashboard The CDC recently launched the Tobacco Disparities Dashboard. The interactive dashboard turns data into visual information, enabling users to quickly explore and identify tobacco-related disparities in cigarette smoking among specific groups at the state level by age, disability, education, employment, income, mental health, race and ethnicity, sex, and locality (urban vs rural). The information can help guide programmatic actions on targeted interventions to reduce cigarette smoking among certain population groups. CDC Empower Vape-Free Youth Campaign Resources The CDC’s Empower Vape-Free Youth campaign aims to empower educators to speak with youth about the risks of e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction and to encourage youth to avoid and/or quit vaping. In May 2024, the campaign released a Spanish-language fact sheet and conversation card. These print materials provide important information for educators to engage in meaningful conversations with their students about the dangers of vaping and ways to quit. The materials are available on the campaign webpage and will soon be available for hard copy orders through the Publication Catalog Ordering System. CDC State Menthol Fact Sheets CDC State Menthol Fact Sheets are available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data presented in the fact sheets include state-specific estimates of the number of adults who currently smoke, usually use menthol cigarettes, and are seriously considering quitting smoking; the economic cost of cigarette smoking in the state; the projected number of people in the state that would quit smoking if menthol cigarettes were no longer available; state Medicaid coverage; state smoking quitline utilization; and the amount of funds CDC provides the state for the quitline.

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ROCHESTER, Minn.— World Cancer Day is February 4 and that makes this the ideal time to talk about lung cancer and smoking. Internationally, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths and the World Health Organization estimates that 90% of cases could be prevented by eliminating tobacco use.

People who smoke are at the greatest risk. Smokeless tobacco is also associated with lung cancer. And lung cancer can occur in people who do not use tobacco.

“That’s one of the misconceptions,” says Aaron Mansfield, M.D., an oncologist at Mayo Clinic who specializes in lung cancer. “Although tobacco use is clearly the largest risk factor to develop lung cancer, there are many other risk factors, and risk factors we don’t know. All you need to be at risk of developing lung cancer is a lung.”

Exposure to secondhand smoke can increase the risk of lung cancer. Other risk factors for lung cancer include exposure to radon gas, asbestos and other carcinogens and a family history of lung cancer.

Some people diagnosed with lung cancer do not have any obvious risk factors. Symptoms of lung cancer, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, can be mistaken for pneumonia.

“Many of my patients have been diagnosed as having pneumonia,” says Dr. Mansfield. “They’ve received many rounds of antibiotics that were not beneficial. They make their way to us when a mass that was thought to be pneumonia on a chest X-ray never improved.”

A persistent cough, coughing up blood, weight loss, bone pain and headache also can be symptoms of lung cancer.

Getting an accurate diagnosis typically involves a biopsy. Ultrasound or CT imaging is used to guide needle placement to get the most accurate tissue sample, Dr. Mansfield says.

Detecting lung cancer early is key to a successful outcome. It can then be removed through surgery and/or treated with radiation and ablation, says Karen Swanson, D.O., a pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Unfortunately, symptoms of lung cancer seldom appear until the cancer has advanced into other areas of the body.

“One of the problems with lung cancer is that by the time a patient is diagnosed with lung cancer ― 80% of the time ― the lung cancer has spread,” Dr. Swanson says. “Unfortunately, when tumors grow within our lungs, it’s not something our bodies can sense or feel. So we miss it at its earliest stages, unless we screen.”

Screening for lung cancer with an annual low-dose CT scan saves lives and is recommended for those at high risk.

“Patients should talk to their primary care provider about lung cancer screening, especially if they have any history of smoking,” Dr. Swanson says.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently lowered the lung cancer screening guidelines from age 55 and a 30-pack year history to age 50 and a 20-pack year history to catch more lung cancers sooner. A pack year measures how many cigarettes a person smoked over a period of time, calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked.

If you smoke cigarettes, you can reduce your lung cancer risk by quitting.

“Even if you’re in your 60s or 70s, we know that by quitting smoking you add years of life and reduce the chronic health impacts and symptoms that occur from smoking,” says J. Taylor Hays, M.D., an internist at Mayo Clinic and associate director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center.

“Even people who’ve had chronic bronchitis and other things, they see within months to years significant reduction in symptoms, significant improvement in shortness of breath, and the ability to function without symptoms,” Dr. Hays says.

Stopping smoking is not easy, so it is best to do it with help. If you smoke, talk to your primary care provider about screening for lung cancer and resources to help you quit smoking.

Fortunately, advances in medical science are improving outcomes for people diagnosed with lung cancer.

“The improvements in lung cancer screening, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies have all improved lung cancer mortality overall,” Dr. Mansfield says.

_{By Sharon Theimer, January 19, 2022}

November is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about stomach cancer.

More than 26,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with stomach cancer this year, and more than 11,000 people will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5% of all new cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, can affect any part of the stomach. In most of the world, stomach cancers form in the main part of the stomach. In the U.S., stomach cancer is more likely to affect the area where the esophagus meets the stomach. Where the cancer occurs in the stomach is one factor health care providers consider when determining treatment options.

Signs and symptoms of stomach cancer can include:

• Difficulty swallowing.
• Feeling bloated after eating.
• Feeling full after eating small amounts of food.
• Heartburn.
• Indigestion.
• Nausea.
• Stomach pain.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• Vomiting.

It’s not clear what causes stomach cancer, though research has identified many factors that can increase the risk. Factors that increase the risk of stomach cancer include gastroesophageal reflux disease; obesity; a diet high in salty, smoked foods, or one low in fruits and vegetables; and smoking. People with a family history of stomach cancer also are at increased risk of developing the disease.

Strategies to reduce your risk of stomach cancer include:

• Maintain a healthy weight
  If you’re overweight or obese, talk to your health care provider about strategies to help you lose weight. Aim for a slow and steady weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week.
• Choose a diet full of fruits and vegetables
  Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet each day. Choose a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.
• Reduce the amount of salty and smoked foods you eat
  Protect your stomach by limiting these foods.
• Stop smoking
  If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Smoking increases your risk of stomach cancer, as well as many other types of cancer. It can be challenging to quit smoking, and it takes most smokers several tries before they succeed. Creating a quit-smoking plan and employing some tried-and-true strategies can help.
• Ask your health care provider about your risk of stomach cancer
  Talk with your health care provider if you have an increased risk of stomach cancer. People with a strong family history of stomach cancer might consider tests, such as endoscopy, to look for signs of stomach cancer.

If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, your health care provider will consider the stage of your cancer, as well as your overall health and personal preferences, to determine your treatment plan. This may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy and palliative care.

By Laurel Kelly, November 24, 2021

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and your family’s health. Quitting smoking can add years to your life, and it’s never too late to see the health benefits of quitting.

Lung cancer claims more lives each year than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Although the disease can occur in people who have never smoked, people who smoke or have smoked have the greatest risk of lung cancer. Smoking raises the risk of other cancers, as well, including cancer of the throat, mouth, pancreas, kidney and cervix. Smoking also contributes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease; and diabetes.

Secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke also cause and contribute to several serious health problems for people exposed to smoke exhaled by smokers, and the residual nicotine and other chemicals left on indoor surfaces by tobacco smoking. Family members, especially children, are most at risk from the effects of secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

It can be challenging to quit smoking, though, and it takes most smokers several tries before they succeed. Creating a quit-smoking plan and employing some tried-and-true strategies can help.

The American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November for more than 40 years. This year, it’s on Thursday, Nov. 18, and you can join thousands of people across the country taking charge of their health that day by quitting smoking. Are you ready to quit?

Connect with other people supporting each other as the quit smoking in the Addiction & Recovery support group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online patient community moderated by Mayo Clinic.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to find out if you should consider getting screened. Learn about lung cancer risks, screening recommendations, and questions to ask your doctor.

Soft palate cancer begins in the cells of the soft palate. Your soft palate is located on the upper portion of the back of your mouth, behind your teeth.

Soft palate cancer is considered a type of throat cancer. Doctors treat soft palate cancer similarly to the way they treat other types of throat cancers — often with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Symptoms

Some signs and symptoms of soft palate cancer can include the following:

• Bleeding
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty speaking
• Bad breath
• Mouth pain
• Sores in your mouth that won’t heal
• Loose teeth
• Pain when you swallow
• Weight loss
• Ear pain
• Swelling in your neck that may hurt
• White patches in your mouth that won’t go away

When to see a doctor

Talk to your doctor or dentist about any persistent signs and symptoms that worry you.

Causes

Soft palate cancer forms when a genetic mutation turns normal, healthy cells into abnormal cells. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. Abnormal cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don’t die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass (tumor). Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can separate from an initial tumor to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

Risk factors

Things that may increase the risk of soft palate cancer include:

• Using tobacco
• Drinking alcohol
• Being infected with human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Taking medications that suppress your immune system

If you use tobacco and drink alcohol, your risk is even higher.

Prevention

Ways to reduce your risk of soft palate cancer include:

• Don’t use tobacco. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start. If you currently use tobacco of any kind, talk with your doctor about strategies to help you quit.
• Limit alcohol if you choose to drink. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
• Get regular dental care. During your appointment, your dentist will check your mouth for signs of cancer and precancerous changes.
• Consider the HPV vaccine. Receiving a vaccination to prevent HPV infection may reduce your risk of HPV-related cancers, such as soft palate cancer. Ask your doctor whether an HPV vaccine is appropriate for you.

Research shows that lifestyle changes can lower your risk of breast cancer, even if you’re at high risk. To lower your risk:

1. Limit alcohol. Even small amounts increase your risk.
2. Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy.
3. Be physically active.
4. Maintain a healthy weight.

The Problem

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States, despite a significant decline in the number of people who smoke. Over 16 million Americans have at least one disease caused by smoking. This amounts to $170 billion in direct medical costs that could be saved every year if we could prevent youth from starting to smoke and help every person who smokes to quit. Extinguishing the Tobacco Epidemic in Texas | CDC

How is the American Cancer Society making an impact on cervical cancer?Cervical Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) is observed in January each year. CCAM offers the American Cancer Society (ACS) an opportunity to increase awareness that regular screening for women, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for pre-teens and teens, can prevent most cervical cancers. It is also an opportunity to educate women about the risk factors associated with cervical cancer, ACS cervical cancer screening recommendations, and how ACS provides information, support and guidance for women living with cervical cancer.