Addressing tobacco use and cessation in cancer patients: Practices, perceptions, and barriers reported by oncology providers.

Abstract

1561 Background: Tobacco use is associated with adverse outcomes in cancer patients, but there are limited data on tobacco cessation support by oncology providers. Methods: Duplicate surveys were sent to the membership of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) asking about tobacco assessment and cessation practices, perceptions of tobacco use by cancer patients, and barriers to implementing tobacco cessation. The results of 1,507 responses from IASLC and 1,197 responses from ASCO are reported. Results: At initial consult, most respondents asked about tobacco use (90% in both surveys), asked if smokers would quit tobacco use (79-80%), advised patients to stop smoking (81-82%). Most respondents felt that tobacco affects cancer outcomes (87-92%) and that tobacco cessation should be a standard part of clinical care (86-90%). However, few discussed medication options (40-44%) or actively provided smoking cessation assistance (39% in both surveys). Fewer respondents asked about tobacco use at follow-up and few reported adequate tobacco cessation training (29-33%). Dominant barriers to providing cessation interventions included patient resistance to cessation treatment (67-74%) and inability to get patients to quit tobacco use (58-72%), but very few believed tobacco cessation was a waste of time (8-12%). Lack of time, reimbursement, lack of training, and lack of resources were reported as barriers in less than 50% of respondents. Conclusions: Oncology providers feel tobacco affects cancer outcomes and cessation should be a standard part of clinical care. Most assess tobacco use, but few discuss medication options or provide active cessation support. Efforts are needed to improve cessation methods in cancer patients and to improve access to tobacco cessation support for cancer patients.