Randomized trial of a presurgical scheduled reduced smoking intervention for patients newly diagnosed with cancer

Cancer patients who smoke are advised to quit smoking to reduce treatment complications and future cancer risk. This study's main objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel, presurgical cessation intervention in newly diagnosed cancer patients scheduled for surgical hospitalization.

We conducted a parallel-arm, randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of our hospital-based, tobacco cessation "best practices" treatment model (BP; cessation counseling and nicotine replacement therapy) with BP enhanced by a behavioral tapering regimen (scheduled reduced smoking; BP + SRS) administered by a handheld computer before hospitalization for surgery. Cessation outcomes were short (hospital admission and 3 months) and longer-term (6 months) biochemically verified smoking abstinence. We hypothesized that BP + SRS would be superior to BP alone. One hundred eighty-five smokers were enrolled.

Overall, 7-day-point prevalence, confirmed abstinence rates at 6 months for BP alone (32%) and BP + SRS (32%) were high; however, no main effect of treatment was observed. Patients who were older and diagnosed with lung cancer were more likely to quit smoking.

Compared to best practices for treating tobacco dependence, a presurgical, scheduled reduced smoking intervention did not improve abstinence rates among newly diagnosed cancer patients.reserved).