A Smoking, Alcohol, and Depression Intervention for Head and Neck Cancer

Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry indicates that head and neck cancers (HN Ca) are nearly twice as common in veterans as non-veterans. HN Ca patients are at an increased risk for smoking, alcohol consumption and depression, all of which contribute to a further decline in their quality of life (QoL). In the HN Ca population, diagnosis and treatment of smoking, alcohol intake and depression are sub-optimal, thereby affecting QoL and survival. Numerous studies have documented that smoking, alcohol and depression are interrelated and research on multi-modal interventions has been suggested.