Smoking interventions for patients with cancer: guidelines for nursing practice

To identify strategies for oncology nurses to assist patients with cancer in modifying their smoking behaviors.

Published research articles, conference proceedings, Surgeon General Reports, and book chapters.

Cigarette smoking is associated with a variety of cancers, and persistent smoking following a cancer diagnosis contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Smoking cessation affords numerous health benefits to patients with cancer, including improved respiratory functioning, increased activity tolerance, and a personal sense of accomplishment. To date, few smoking interventions have targeted patients with cancer.

Oncology nurses can become more actively involved in effective smoking interventions by incorporating current research findings and theoretical models of behavior change into daily practice.

Oncology nurses can more effectively help their patients who smoke by assessing smoking status and patients' readiness to quit; providing brief, supportive messages consistently over time; offering or referring patients to appropriate resources; and providing continued follow-up.