A Pitt study on substance use among cancer survivors was published in JAMA Oncology

Katie Fitzgerald Jones, former postdoctoral fellow at the Challenges in Managing and Preventing Pain (CHAMPP) Clinical Research Center, led a new study looking to answer the question: What is the cancer type-specific prevalence of substance use disorder among adult U.S. cancer survivors?

Jones, CHAMPP Director Jessica Merlin and their team conducted a cross-sectional study of 6,101 adult cancer survivors from 2015 through 2020 and found the overall prevalence of active substance use disorders (SUDs) was approximately 4%, though prevalence was higher in some subpopulations and among cancer survivors with a recent diagnosis. For example, the prevalence of SUD was 18.7% in cancer survivors with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer in the past 12 months. Alcohol use disorder was the most common SUD.

This research can be used to identify cancer survivors who may benefit from integrated cancer and SUD care. The full publication, “Substance Use Disorders Among US Adult Cancer Survivors,” is available in JAMA Oncology.

CHAMPP, comprised of core and affiliate faculty members from across the University of Pittsburgh, is on a mission is to improve health and care for patients with pain by building an interdisciplinary and inclusive collaborative of clinical pain researchers. It is funded by the Division of General Internal Medicine, the Department of Medicine and a portfolio of grants from the National Institutes of Health, including support from its Tailored Retention and Engagement for Equitable treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (TREETOP) center. TREETOP works on developing effective, equitable and sustainable interventions for chronic pain and opioid use disorder with a focus on Black communities who are disproportionally impacted by these issues and generally receive less-equitable clinical treatment than other communities.

Learn more about CHAMPP and the Pitt TREETOP Research Center.