Stopping Tobacco Use: Help Improve Your Cancer Recovery and Outcome

It’s never too late to stop using tobacco.

Quitting tobacco use is one of the best things you can do for your health – even after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Research shows that stopping smoking can lead to numerous benefits for patients receiving treatment for cancer, including:

• Better chance of successful treatment
• Fewer and less serious side effects from every kind of treatment - surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
• Fewer complications
• Faster recovery
• Decreased chance of cancer returning

These benefits occur even if cancer is not caused by smoking.

We know it’s difficult to quit.

Resources

Kicklt California - Click weblink: Kick It CA 1 -800-300-8086 

• This free program helps Californians stop smoking, vaping or using smokeless tobacco through proven, science-based strategies A coach will partner with you to craft a quit plan that is personalized to you. This service is available in several languages.

Second Breath - Click weblink: Sharp Classes

• 1 -800 82-SHARP (1 -800-827-4277)
• This free web-based program from Sharp HealthCare will guide you to becoming tobacco-free. During six-weekly webinar sessions you will build skills in behavior change, stress management and relapse prevention.
• We also provide long term support and follow-up for all participants. 

SmokeFree • Click weblink: SmokeFree

• This website from the National Cancer Institute provides information and resources about quitting smoking. It includes tips, plans, apps. and text messaging programs for people at different stages of the quitting process It also provides resources to help people support a loved one's attempts to quit smoking.

• This program from the American Lung Association uses proven activities and tools to help people understand their own relationship with tobacco and say goodbye to smoking for good.

References

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General,” Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2020.
• Turan, A.; Mascha, E.J.; Roberman, D.; Turner, P.L.; et al. “Smoking and perioperative outcomes,” Anesthesiology, 2011;114(4):837-846.