Review Paper Finds Unexpected Barriers to Snuffing Out Smoking among Cancer Patients
Researcher Sonia Duffy, PhD, RN, identifies opportunity for nurses to make a difference in smoking cessation.
Dr. Sonia Duffy says she was surprised by some of her findings in a recent review paper, "Why Do Cancer Patients Smoke and What Can Providers Do About It," which appears in the journal Community Oncology. She was lead researcher for the paper-- the first to examine reasons why smoking, which is frequently the cause of cancer, wasn’t being addressed during treatment of the cancer.
It’s a sensitive topic that is getting a lot of attention. Dr. Duffy tells Everyday Health it’s a complicated issue because smokers face numerous obstacles to quitting, including limited access to cessation programs, depression from diagnosis, and a lack of time and energy from the cancer treatment sessions. In addition, many smokers have a social network of other smokers and avoiding that social network can be challenging during such a difficult time.
While most oncologists suggest quitting, their main focus is on cancer treatment. In addition, research shows only 56 percent of family physicians urge their cancer patients to quit smoking. Dr. Duffy says she sees an opportunity for nurses to lead stop-smoking interventions, and her next project will examine various program designs to determine which will work best for nurses to administer to cancer patients who want to quit.
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