Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Rebekah Kaufman , Zihan Wei , Karen Morales , Lauren Kiel , Lauren Knelson , Priscila Ramirez , Angela Morabito , Emanuele Mazzola , Alicia K. Morgans , Ann H. Partridge , Narjust Florez
Background: Tobacco cessation counseling remains suboptimal for patients with cancer. The current iteration of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Tobacco Cessation Program was established in 2021 to provide virtual, longitudinal tobacco session counseling to patients with cancer. Here, we report the Program’s experience. Methods: The DFCI Tobacco Cessation Program data from 2021 to 2023 was analyzed. Descriptive statistics summarized demographics and tobacco cessation experiences from baseline and follow-up visits. Results: Of 227 patients referred to the Program and included in the analysis (Table 1), 161 declined participation. 63 participants attended a baseline visit, of whom the median age for first cigarette was 15 years (range: 10-32) and the median age for regular tobacco use was 17 years (range: 10-61). Prior to baseline, most participants (n=43) indicated using tobacco daily; the median number of daily cigarettes was 11-15. Many (n=41) reported smoking within 30 minutes of waking up, and most considered tobacco use to be an addiction (n=50). Though a considerable number of participants (n=27) reported quitting smoking to be extremely important to them, confidence in quitting varied; the most frequently selected confidence level was 5/10 (n=14). Past use of tobacco cessation drugs was reported by one-third of participants (n=22); past use of nicotine replacement therapy was reported by nearly half (n=30). The most frequently reported perceived benefit of quitting smoking was better health (n=48). 51 participants had at least one follow-up visit (median: 4, range: 1-23). At the time of first follow-up, 10 reported decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day, 20 reported no change, and 3 reported an increase. However, among 24 participants who attended a fifth visit, 8 reported a decrease and 6 reported no change. Of 11 patients who had attended at least 10 visits, 5 reported decreasing their number of daily cigarettes. 13/63 (20.6%) of all participants reported quitting smoking after enrolling, with a median time from baseline assessment to smoke-free status of 34 days. Conclusions: Remote, longitudinal tobacco cessation programs provide an effective way to increase access to tobacco cessation counseling for patients with cancer. However, limitations include high decline rates and loss to follow up. Future analysis of our program will help better understand tobacco cessation efforts.
Demographics | Approached (n=227) | Attended Baseline (n=63) |
---|---|---|
Median Age | 60 | 62 |
Sex | Female 130 (57.3%) | Male 94 (41.4%) |Prefer not to say/Unknown 3 (1.3%) | Female 36 (57.1%) |Male 26 (41.3%) |Prefer not to say 1 (1.6%) |
Cancer | Lung 80 (35.2%) |Breast 46 (20.3%) |Head & Neck 27 (11.9%) |GI 24 (10.6%) | Lung 22 (34.9%) |Breast 9 (14.3%) |Head & Neck 11 (17.5%) |Lymphoma 6 (9.5%) |
Race: White | 191 (84.1%) | 52 (82.5%) |
Black | 17 (7.5%) | 4 (6.3%) |
Asian | 4 (1.8%) | 1 (1.6%) |
Other/Prefer not to say | 15 (6.6%) | 6 (9.5%) |
Hispanic | 8 (3.6%) | 3 (5.1%) |
Disclaimer
This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org
Abstract Disclosures
2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Elyse R. Park
2022 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Melissa Francoise Neumann
2024 ASCO Breakthrough
First Author: William Ho Cheung Li
2022 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Zachary M Avigan