It’s a game-changer.
A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine highlights the significant benefits of an integrated approach to smoking cessation, showing that smokers had almost double the success rate when supported by a combination of medication and personalized counseling. The research underscores the importance of providing smokers with effective treatments and access to trained tobacco cessation specialists to improve their chances of quitting successfully.
Principal investigator Paul Cinciripini, executive director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, emphasized that this comprehensive approach could not only help smokers quit but also reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Tobacco use is responsible for the majority of lung cancer cases and a significant portion of all cancer-related fatalities.
The study involved 630 smokers aged 50 and older, who smoked an average of 20 cigarettes daily. Participants were randomly divided into three groups. One group received nicotine replacement therapy and phone-based support, another had the same treatment prescribed by a lung cancer screening doctor, and the third group received medication along with in-person counseling from a team of specialists and physicians.
The group receiving integrated care, which combined medication with personalized counseling, had the highest success rate in quitting smoking—37% after three months and 32% after six months. This was significantly higher compared to the other two groups, which had quit rates of 27% and 21% after three months, respectively. Cinciripini noted that facilities offering integrated care should prioritize this model to give patients the best chance at quitting and improving their overall health.
The findings suggest that this approach could also be beneficial outside of a lung cancer screening setting, such as in clinics for patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or post-traumatic stress disorder, where smoking cessation could improve health outcomes.
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