Tobacco and other substance co-use among adolescents and young adults with cancer who use tobacco: prevalence and associations with nicotine dependence and depression.

Introduction: Tobacco and other substance co-use has not been examined in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. We compared the prevalence of past-month co-use of tobacco+cannabis, alcohol and illicit drugs between AYAs with and without a cancer history and considered associations between co-use and nicotine dependence in AYA cancer survivors who use tobacco, exploring if past-year major depression moderates this relationship.

Methods: 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data were used to analyse past-month co-use in 7793 AYAs (228 with cancer; 7565 without cancer). Weighted univariable and multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between cancer history and co-use and co-use with nicotine dependence (among AYA cancer survivors) incorporating moderation by major depression.

Results: AYA cancer survivors had lower reported past-month cannabis co-use than those without cancer (29% vs 39%), but cancer history was not associated with cannabis co-use in multivariable models (adjusted OR (aOR): 0.83, 95% CI=0.54, 1.28). When AYA cancer survivors who use tobacco had major depression, alcohol co-use was associated with lower rates of nicotine dependence (aOR=0.08, 95% CI=0.01, 0.53).

Conclusions: There are high rates of substance co-use among AYAs who use tobacco, consistent across cancer history. Unlike previous research, alcohol co-use was associated with lower rates of nicotine dependence, but only for those with major depression. This finding could be related to neurochemical dysregulation due to co-use and warrants further exploration. Future research should also examine more nuanced definitions of substance use including modes, patterns and initiation of use, and explore motivation to change tobacco behaviour in AYA cancer survivor populations.