Originally published as JCO Early Release 10.1200/JCO.2005.07.048 on August 22 2005

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Emmons, K. M. Articles by Li, F. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Emmons, K. M. Articles by Li, F. P. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB NICOTINE NICOTINE TARTRATE Medline Plus Health Information Quitting Smoking Smoking Smoking and Youth Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Peer-Delivered Smoking Counseling for Childhood Cancer Survivors Increases Rate of Cessation: The Partnership for Health Study

From the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard School of Public Health; Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston; University of Massachusetts–Amherst, Amherst, MA; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Address reprint requests Karen M. Emmons, PhD, Harvard School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Center for Community-Based Research, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115; e-mail: Karen_M_Emmons{at}dfci.harvard.edu

PURPOSE: Cancer survivors smoke at rates that are only slightly lower than the general population. This article reports on the final outcomes of Partnership for Health, a smoking cessation intervention for smokers in the Childhood Cancer Survivors Study (CCSS).

METHODS: This study is a randomized control trial with follow-up at 8 and 12 months that involved smokers (n = 796) enrolled onto the CCSS cohort. Participants were randomly assigned to either a self-help or a peer-counseling program that included up to six telephone calls from a trained childhood cancer survivor, tailored and targeted materials, and free nicotine replacement therapy. The intervention was delivered by telephone and postal service mail.

RESULTS: The quit rate was significantly higher in the counseling group compared with the self-help group at both the 8-month (16.8% v 8.5%; P < .01) and 12-month follow-ups (15% v 9%; P .01). Controlling for baseline self-efficacy and readiness to change, the intervention group was twice as likely to quit smoking, compared with the self-help group. Smoking cessation rate increased with an increase in the number of counseling calls. The cost of delivering the intervention was approximately $300 per participant. The incremental cost-effectiveness of the intervention compared with controls was $5,371 per additional quit.

CONCLUSION: Interventions to prevent future illnesses are of critical importance to childhood cancer survivors. The Partnership for Health intervention resulted in a doubling of smoking cessation quit rates. Because of the seriousness of smoking among childhood cancer survivors, this intervention model may be appropriate as a multicomponent treatment program for survivors who smoke.

Supported by Grants No. U24-CA55727 and RO1-CA77780 from the National Institutes of Health; support provided to the University of Minnesota by the Children's Cancer Research Fund; support to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute by Liberty Mutual, the Patterson Fellowship Fund, and the Harry and Elsa Jiler American Cancer Society Research Professorship (F.P.L.). SmithKline Beecham donated nicotine patches.

Presented in part at a paper session at the 24th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society for Behavioral Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, March 19-23, 2003.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Rabin Promoting Lifestyle Change Among Cancer Survivors: When Is the Teachable Moment? American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, September 1, 2009; 3(5): 369 - 378. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. K. Zeltzer, C. Recklitis, D. Buchbinder, B. Zebrack, J. Casillas, J. C.I. Tsao, Q. Lu, and K. Krull Psychological Status in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study J. Clin. Oncol., May 10, 2009; 27(14): 2396 - 2404. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. C. Nathan, J. S. Ford, T. O. Henderson, M. M. Hudson, K. M. Emmons, J. N. Casillas, E. A. Lown, K. K. Ness, and K. C. Oeffinger Health Behaviors, Medical Care, and Interventions to Promote Healthy Living in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Cohort J. Clin. Oncol., May 10, 2009; 27(14): 2363 - 2373. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. L. Robison, G. T. Armstrong, J. D. Boice, E. J. Chow, S. M. Davies, S. S. Donaldson, D. M. Green, S. Hammond, A. T. Meadows, A. C. Mertens, et al. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: A National Cancer Institute-Supported Resource for Outcome and Intervention Research J. Clin. Oncol., May 10, 2009; 27(14): 2308 - 2318. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Emmons, E. Puleo, A. Mertens, E. R. Gritz, L. Diller, and F. P. Li Long-Term Smoking Cessation Outcomes Among Childhood Cancer Survivors in the Partnership for Health Study J. Clin. Oncol., January 1, 2009; 27(1): 52 - 60. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Frobisher, D. L. Winter, E. R. Lancashire, R. C. Reulen, A. J. Taylor, C. Eiser, M. C. G. Stevens, M. M. Hawkins, and on behalf of the British Childhood Cancer Survivor Extent of Smoking and Age at Initiation of Smoking Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer in Britain J Natl Cancer Inst, August 6, 2008; 100(15): 1068 - 1081. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. L. Tyc Strategies for Tobacco Control Among Youngsters with Cancer J. Pediatr. Psychol., October 1, 2007; 32(9): 1067 - 1078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. B. Stull, D. C. Snyder, and W. Demark-Wahnefried Lifestyle Interventions in Cancer Survivors: Designing Programs That Meet the Needs of This Vulnerable and Growing Population J. Nutr., January 1, 2007; 137(1): 243S - 248S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Demark-Wahnefried, B. M. Pinto, and E. R. Gritz Promoting Health and Physical Function Among Cancer Survivors: Potential for Prevention and Questions That Remain J. Clin. Oncol., November 10, 2006; 24(32): 5125 - 5131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]