Availability, Reading Level, Quality, and Accessibility of Cancer Center Smoking Cessation Materials

Smoking cessation following a cancer diagnosis is associated with improved outcomes, including reduced overall mortality. We searched the websites of 64 NCI-designated cancer centers that provide clinical cancer care to adults for webpages about smoking cessation and assessed the quality of the available content. Thirty-five of 64 (55%) websites hosted smoking cessation-focused webpages. Of those 35 webpages, 20 (57%) explicitly stated that smoking cessation decreases overall mortality, 8 (23%) included information about smoking cessation medications, 9 (26%) offered behavioral counseling tips such as setting a quit date or advising on habit replacement, and 11 (31%) described the risks and benefits of e-cigarette use. Links to other established smoking cessation organizations were evaluated; 15 (43%) webpages linked to smokefree.gov, 20 (57%) listed the phone numbers for state or national quitlines, and 5 (14%) described the Cancer Center Cessation Initiative. The average estimated reading level of the webpages was 10.5. These findings suggest that cancer center websites, which patients may access for trustworthy online medical information, often lack actionable and/or comprehensible information to help patients with cancer quit smoking. There is an opportunity to strengthen online communication to patients about effective smoking cessation strategies, which may help patients live longer and healthier lives.

Smoking cessation is paramount to preventing the onset of cancer, and in those who have a cancer diagnosis, quitting smoking will improve outcomes and also help reduce the risk of developing a second cancer.