Virtual cessation care lifts quit rates in cancer trial
A randomized trial found a virtual therapy and nicotine replacement program nearly doubled six-month quit rates among cancer patients who smoked.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
2 min read
A smoking cessation program delivered through oncology practices and supported with virtual therapy nearly doubled quit rates among cancer patients who smoked, according to study results published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The finding matters because the trial tested the approach in community oncology care settings, where many patients receive cancer treatment.
Investigators from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center led the randomized clinical trial for the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, according to the study announcement. The program combined virtual counseling with nicotine replacement medications.
What the trial tested
The ECOG-ACRIN trial evaluated a smoking cessation treatment program for patients with cancer who were smoking at the time of enrollment, according to the investigators. The treatment was designed for delivery in community oncology care settings rather than only in a specialized tobacco clinic.
The intervention included two main components: therapy delivered virtually and nicotine replacement medications, the study team reported. The announcement did not specify the number of participants, the exact counseling schedule or the nicotine replacement products used.
Because the study was randomized, patients were assigned to different study groups to test the effect of the cessation program, according to the investigators. The results were assessed six months after treatment.
What researchers found
The study team reported that patients made good use of the intervention. At six months after treatment, the program nearly doubled the rate of quitting compared with the trial’s comparison group, according to the findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The announcement did not provide the absolute quit rates or the size of the difference between the groups. It also did not report detailed safety findings or whether results varied by cancer type, treatment setting or patient characteristics.
Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center investigators led the work for ECOG-ACRIN, a cancer research group that conducts clinical trials. The published results add evidence that smoking cessation support can be built into oncology care using remote therapy and medication support, according to the study team’s report.
The findings focus on patients with cancer who currently smoke and on a program tested in community oncology settings. The study does not address whether the same approach would produce similar quit rates in other patient groups or care settings.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.