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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A virtual smoking cessation program is proving to be a game-changer for cancer patients who smoke. A randomized trial found that patients who received telehealth counseling plus free nicotine replacement therapy achieved double the abstinence rate at 6 months compared to those referred to a standard quitline — even among patients who weren't initially motivated to quit.
Smoking after a cancer diagnosis significantly worsens outcomes — raising the risk of progression, recurrence, and death — yet most patients who smoke never receive formal cessation support. A new randomized trial is making the case that telehealth can close that gap, even in community oncology settings where most cancer patients receive care.
The trial enrolled 306 patients diagnosed with cancer within the past 4 months who were still smoking. Those assigned to the virtual intervention received up to 11 telehealth counseling sessions with Mass General Brigham providers and free nicotine replacement therapy. The control group was referred to the NCI quitline. Notably, nearly half of participants weren't ready to quit at the start — and 45% had non-smoking-related cancers. A complementary opt-out program at the University of Chicago ("No Smoker Left Behind") similarly reached hundreds of patients through EHR-triggered outreach, with over half responding and many reporting quit attempts or reduced smoking.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Smoking cessation is increasingly recognized as the "fourth pillar of cancer care," yet it remains underutilized. This trial shows that a scalable, telehealth-based model — with free medication and proactive outreach — can meaningfully improve quit rates even among patients who are ambivalent about quitting, and can be embedded into community oncology practices where the majority of cancer patients are treated.
