Smoking Cessation by Phone Counselling in a Lung Cancer Screening Program: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Integrating smoking cessation into lung cancer screening programs is complex.
• Current phone counseling services in Canada cater to self-referred individuals and those referred by healthcare professionals.
• The effectiveness of these services for individuals within lung cancer screening programs is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare smoking cessation quit rates among three groups of participants referred to a smoking cessation quit line: self-referred, referred by healthcare workers, and referred by a lung cancer screening program.
• To identify factors influencing quit rates in these distinct referral groups.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study design was employed.
• Data from participants referred to a provincial smoking cessation quit line were analyzed.
• Outcomes were assessed using self-reported 30-day abstinence rates at 6 months, with multivariable logistic regression used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants referred by lung cancer screening programs exhibited low quit rates (12%) at six months.
• Individuals referred by lung cancer screening programs were significantly less likely to quit compared to self-referred participants (adjusted OR 0.37).
• Those referred by healthcare workers demonstrated higher quit rates (adjusted OR 2.16) than self-referred individuals.

Conclusions:

• Phone counseling alone offers limited benefit for smoking cessation within lung cancer screening programs.
• Participants referred from lung cancer screening programs differ significantly from those referred by healthcare workers.
• Dedicated, personalized tobacco treatment programs incorporating best practices are essential for lung cancer screening participants, irrespective of their readiness to quit.