Comparison of Black and/or Hispanic Cancer Patients' Experiences in Virtual Tobacco Treatment

Low engagement with tobacco treatment by Black and/or Hispanic adults with cancer who smoke may perpetuate health disparities. The current secondary analysis of a tobacco treatment trial aimed to describe the racial and ethnic characteristics of Black and/or Hispanic cancer patients and to examine the association between these characteristics and treatment outcomes.

Eligibility criteria were: 18 + years old, newly diagnosed with cancer, smoked ≥ 1 cigarette in the past month, and spoke English or Spanish. Participants who self-identified as Black and/or Hispanic (N = 41), or White (N = 255) received (1) four telephone counseling sessions and information about smoking cessation medication or (2) eight telephone counseling sessions and 3 monthly booster sessions plus 12 weeks of free smoking cessation medication. We examined sociodemographic characteristics, smoking history, and cultural characteristics (e.g., racial/ethnic identity, language, familism, religiosity) at baseline and smoking abstinence at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Black and/or Hispanic patients smoked fewer cigarettes per day (10.5 vs. 14.7 cigarettes per day, p = .03) and reported higher levels of baseline quitting self-efficacy compared to White patients (6.5 vs. 5.3, p = .006). Black and/or Hispanic patients had similar treatment engagement, protocol adherence, and biochemically confirmed smoking abstinence at 3- and 6-month follow-ups compared to White non-Hispanic patients, controlling for the treatment group.

Findings suggest that virtual tobacco treatment was accessible and effective for Black and/or Hispanic cancer patients. Tailored treatment may support greater benefits from tobacco treatment among Black and/or Hispanic patients who experience a greater health burden associated with smoking.