Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption in Patients With Head and Neck or Lung Cancer (ALTAK)

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Persistent Tobacco or Alcohol Use Over the First Year of a First Lung or Head and Neck Cancer

This is an multicenter study for preventive and therapeutic strategies for patients with head and neck cancer

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer; Lung Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: physician assessment

Detailed Description

Continuing the chronic intoxication by either tobacco or alcohol after the initial diagnosis of a first lung or head and neck cancer significantly improves the risk of experiencing a second cancer, and largely affects the long term survival. Addiction intervention programs should be personalized according to the patient's profile, with the aim to develop more sustained intervention and monitoring in patients identified at higher risk of not spontaneously stopping harmful substance use. As of today, the trajectories of smoking and drinking habits and the risk factors for persisting smoking or drinking habits have been insufficiently explored among patients with a first lung or head and neck cancer.

The ALTAK study aims to depict the rate of tobacco smokers 12 months after the initial diagnosis of a first lung or head and neck cancer. The secondary objectives of the study are:

• to depict the rate of alcohol users 12 months after the initial diagnosis of a H&N cancer
• to depict the rate of tobacco smokers at cancer diagnosis
• to depict the rate of alcohol users at cancer diagnosis
• to determine the social, motivational, psychiatric, tobacco-related, alcohol-related, and cannabis-related features associated with stopping tobacco in the year following the diagnosis of a first TARC.
• to determine the social, psychiatric, tobacco-related, alcohol-related, and cannabis-related features associated with stopping alcohol drinking in the year following the diagnosis of a first H&N cancer

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 385

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Lille, France, 59020
    • Oscar Lambret Center
  • Lille, France, 59 037
    • Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire - Hopital HURIEZ
  • Lille, France, 59 037
    • Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire - Hopital CALMETTE

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

patient with a first head and neck cancer or first lung cancer

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• first head and neck or lung cancer
• first support
• age ≥ 18
• patient covered by health insurance
• signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• prior lung or head and neck cancer
• History of another cancer <5 years, not evolutive and untreated at baseline (carcinoma of the cervix, or basal cell carcinoma of the skin properly treated are allowed). The presence of a second discovery tumor location at the same time as the lung or head and neck cancer, is not a criteria for non-inclusion
• mesothelioma and oesophageal cancer
• unable to undergo trail medical follow up (geographical, social and psychological reasons)
• pregnant or nursing women
• patient under guardianship

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

head and neck or lung cancer; patient with a first head and neck cancer or first lung cancer

Behavioral: physician assessment; Socio-economic conditions and general features: educational level, professional status...; Assessment of current and past use of tobacco: current smoking status reported by the patient; in lifelong non-smokers: previous history of passive smoking reported by the patient; breath carbon monoxide level; in past smokers: age of first cigarette, total reported duration of active smoking, breath carbon monoxide level...; in current smokers: age of first tobacco use, total reported duration of active smoking; Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test...; Assessment of the current and past uses of alcohol: previous-year assessment using the CAGE questionnaire and the AUDIT Test; average weekly alcohol consumption over the last 12 months...; Assessment of current use of cannabis using the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test; Psychiatric assessment using the MINI 5.0

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
tobacco consumption	reported tobacco smoking	at 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
tobacco smoking	frequency tobacco consumption	at baseline, 3 and 6 months
alcohol drinking	frequency of alcohol consumption	at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months
progression free survival	median time between date of inclusion and date of first progression	at 12 months
overall survival	median time between date of inclusion and date of death	at 12 months
sociodemographic, cancer-related, tobacco-related, alcohol-related, and psychiatric characteristics		at baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Centre Oscar Lambret
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute, France; Centre Régional de Référence en Cancérologie
• Investigators: Study Director: Corinne VANNIMENUS, MD, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire LILLE

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Vannimenus C, Bricout H, Le Rouzic O, Mouawad F, Chevalier D, Dansin E, Rotsaert L, Lefebvre G, Cottencin O, Porte H, Scherpereel A, El Fahsi A, Richard F, Rolland B; ALTAK Study Group. Compared characteristics of current vs. past smokers at the time of diagnosis of a first-time lung or head and neck cancer: a cross-sectional study. BMC Cancer. 2018 Apr 3;18(1):372. doi: 10.1186/s12885-018-4253-5.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 19, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 19, 2012
• First Posted (Estimated): July 23, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 12, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: lung cancer; head and neck cancer; tobacco use disorder; alcoholism
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Neoplasms; Thoracic Neoplasms; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Lung Neoplasms; Alcoholism; Tobacco Use Disorder; Head and Neck Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: ALTAK - 1109; 2011-A01659-32 (Other Identifier: ANSM)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO