Virtual, sustained smoking cessation program for cancer patients doubles quitting rate, clinical trial shows

A new study shows that a smoking cessation treatment program delivered in community oncology care settings can nearly double quit rates for patients with cancer who currently smoke.

Investigators from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center led a randomized clinical trial for the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN), testing a treatment program that includes virtual therapy and nicotine replacement medications.

Results, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, show that the intervention was well used and nearly doubled the quit rate at six months post-treatment. ...