Investigating the Smoking Cessation Informational Needs of Cancer Patients and Informal Caregivers

Motivating smoking cessation among patients with cancers not perceived as smoking-related: a targeted intervention

PURPOSE

Smoking after cancer impairs cancer treatment outcomes and prognosis, regardless of cancer type. Prior data suggest that patients with cancers other than lung or head/neck cancer had lower cessation motivation, which in turn predicted lower smoking abstinence. This study evaluated feasibility for a future efficacy trial and assessed the acceptability of brief self-help materials, targeted by cancer type, to enhance cessation motivation.

METHODS

Patients had a diagnosis of skin melanoma, breast, bladder, colorectal, or gynecological cancers within ≤ 6 months, smoked ≥ 1 cigarette in the past month, and were not currently participating in a cessation program. After completing a baseline assessment, participants received the booklet corresponding to their cancer type. Follow-ups were conducted 1 week and 1 month post-intervention.

RESULTS

Among 118 patients potentially eligible, 109 were successfully contacted and 53 patients were eligible and all consented. Among consenting patients, 92.5% completed baseline, and 90.6% received the intervention. Among patients receiving the intervention, 91.7% completed all study procedures and follow-up. At 1 month, 87.5% reported reading the booklet and 92.8% rated it as good/excellent. Motivation to quit smoking increased over time among those with lower motivation at baseline, 33.3% sought smoking cessation assistance, and 25.0% were smoke-free 1 month post-intervention.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the first intervention developed for patients with cancers not typically associated with smoking. This low-cost and easy to disseminate intervention has potential to increase motivation to quit smoking among patients with cancers not typically perceived as smoking-related.

Smoking Cessation and Tobacco-related Risk Perceptions among People with and without a Diagnosis of Cancer

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how cancer diagnosis and tobacco-related risk perceptions are associated with smoking behavior.

METHODS

We used data from Waves (W) 1-3 (2013-2016) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study to analyze longitudinal smoking behavior among adults who were current smokers and not previously diagnosed with cancer at baseline (W1; N = 7,829). The outcome was smoking cessation as of follow-up (W3). Explanatory variables were sociodemographics, other tobacco product use, adult at first cigarette, tobacco dependence, cancer diagnosis after baseline, and tobacco-related risk perceptions [cigarette harm perception, worry that tobacco products will damage one's health ("worry"), belief that smoking causes cancer ("belief"), and nondaily smoking harm perception].

RESULTS

Cessation was significantly associated with baseline worry (OR = 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.40), follow-up cigarette harm perception [OR = 2.01 (1.77-2.29)], and follow-up belief [OR = 1.40 (1.20-1.63)]. Cessation was inversely associated with follow-up (W3) worry, and this association was stronger among those without a cancer diagnosis (OR = 0.37 without cancer; OR = 0.76 among individuals diagnosed with cancer; interaction P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Cessation is associated with tobacco-related risk perceptions, with different perceptions contributing in unique ways. Cessation is predicted by baseline worry but is inversely associated with worry at follow-up, suggesting that perhaps cessation has alleviated worry. The latter finding was stronger among respondents not diagnosed with cancer.

IMPACT

Associations between cancer diagnosis, tobacco-related risk perceptions, and smoking behavior may inform the development of evidence-based smoking cessation interventions.

Pivoting the Provision of Smoking Cessation Education in a Virtual Clinical World: The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Experience

Continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis may be attributed to misbeliefs by both patients and healthcare providers on the value and benefit of quitting smoking on treatment outcomes. The perceived myths and misconceptions about the relationship between smoking and cancer may be readily dispelled with the provision of practical and pertinent education. However, busy clinics as well as the rapid move to virtual care due to the COVID-19 pandemic present several challenges with the provision of smoking cessation education. Here, we describe how the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre implemented innovative solutions to improve the delivery of education during the COVID-19 pandemic to better support patients and healthcare providers.

Implementation of a comprehensive smoking cessation program in cancer care

Background

Quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis maximizes treatment-related effects, improves prognosis, and enhances quality of life. However, smoking cessation (sc) services are not routinely integrated into cancer care. The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre implemented a digitally-based sc program in oncology, leveraging an e-referral system (cease) to screen all new ambulatory patients, provide tailored education and advice on quitting, and facilitate referrals.

Methods

We adopted the Framework for Managing eHealth Change to guide implementation of the sc program by integrating 6 key elements: governance and leadership, stakeholder engagement, communication, workflow analysis and integration, monitoring and evaluation, and training and education.

Results

Incorporating elements of the Framework, we used extensive stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships to establish a sc program with organizational and provincial accountability. Existing electronic patient-reported assessments were changed to integrate cease. Clinic audits and staff engagement allowed for analysis of workflow, ongoing monitoring and evaluation that aided in establishing a communication strategy, and development of cancer-specific education for patients and health care providers. From April 2016 to March 2018, 22,137 new patients were eligible for screening. Among those new patients, 13,617 (62%) were screened, with 1382 (10%) being current smokers and 532 (4%) having recently quit (within 6 months). Of the current smokers and those who had recently quit, all were advised to quit or to stay smoke-free, and 380 (20%) accepted referral to a sc counselling service.

Conclusions

Here, we provide a comprehensive practice blueprint for the implementation of digitally based sc programs as a standard of care within comprehensive cancer centres with high patient volumes.