Developing new guidelines to help cancer patients quit smoking, improve outcomes

Cancer patients who have been unable to quit smoking risk a shorter life span, developing new cancers, making their course of treatment less effective in addition to worsening their side effects.

However, an alliance of leading cancer centers including The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), has collectively issued new guidelines in hopes of helping patients quit for good.

“People with cancer understand the critical importance of quitting smoking, but the addiction is powerful,” says Peter Shields, MD, an OSUCCC – James clinical oncologist who specializes in treating lung cancer.

Dr. Shields chairs the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) Panel for Smoking Cessation, which helped create guidelines that are evidence-based, expert-driven recommendations intended for health care providers.

“These NCCN Guidelines for Patients are designed to engage patients actively in their own care, turning smoking cessation into a collaborative, two-way conversation between patients and caregivers and their care teams,” Dr. Shields says. “They offer easy-to-understand tools and support needed to make this challenging journey a success.”

Why new guidelines are important

Before the guidelines were issued, recommendations for the best way for cancer patients to quit smoking varied and had different approaches.

The book promotes a supportive, non-judgmental approach, acknowledging that slips happen when smokers are trying to quit. Multiple therapies often lead to success. It covers evidence-based options like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), counseling and prescription non-nicotine medications.

These updated NCCN guidelines align with current practices at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Nicotine and Tobacco Cessation Clinics.

“We are a pharmacist-run clinic that meets one-on-one with patients to provide medication therapy management and lifestyle interventions to aid quitting attempts, coping with cravings and preventing relapse,” says Ariel Holland, PharmD, clinical lead for the tobacco and nicotine use service at the medical center. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with our oncology colleagues to help patients quit smoking during, prior and after cancer-related interventions, which improves outcomes and overall quality of life.”

“The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Quitting Smoking” offers many helpful tools for quitting smoking for good. Though aimed at cancer patients, the tips are useful for anyone who smokes.

“By empowering patients with the same information that doctors use, we aim to make quitting smoking a more achievable goal, even for those who have struggled in the past,” Dr. Shields says. “Smoking cessation requires the active work of both the patient and the health care provider. Quitting earlier is better, but any time helps. These guidelines are critical for closing that loop and facilitating success.”

The NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Quitting Smoking can be viewed or downloaded for free online at NCCN.org/patientguidelines or through the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App. Printed versions are available for a small fee on Amazon.com.