Patient-Level Factors Associated with Oncology Provider-Delivered Brief Tobacco Treatment Among Recently Diagnosed Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: A cancer diagnosis is seen as a "teachable moment" for patients to consider changing their behavioral risk factors, such as smoking. It also offers an opportunity for oncology providers to engage in a dialogue about how they can support patients changing their smoking behaviors. Brief, evidence-based tobacco cessation treatment delivered by oncology providers through the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist Arrange) model is recommended, but provision to cancer patients remains suboptimal. Aim: Explore patient-level factors associated with 5As receipt among current smokers with a newly diagnosed cancer. Method: A total of 303 patients self-reported whether they received each of the 5As during their most recent oncology care visit. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to identify patient-level factors associated with 5As receipt. Results: Oncology provider-delivered 5As rates ranged from 81.5% (Ask) to 30.7% (Arrange). 5As receipt was associated with: reporting lower illness-related stigma, diagnosis of a comorbid smoking-related disease, diagnosis of a smoking-related cancer, and diagnosis of a non-advanced cancer. Conclusion: Findings support previous literature in which smoking-related diagnoses were associated with greater receipt of 5As; however, disparities in the receipt of 5As existed for patients with more advanced cancer diagnoses and illness-related stigma. Inequities in the provision of quit assistance may further decrease treatment effectiveness and survival expectancy among certain patient populations. These findings are, therefore, important as they identify specific patient-level factors associated with lower 5As receipt among newly diagnosed cancer patients.