February 3, 2011 - Though most cancer patients report receiving advice to quit smoking, less than half are actually interested in joining a smoking cessation program. A new study collected data from questionnaires and medical-record reviews from 160 smokers or recent quitters with lung or head and neck cancer. The study found that 86% of smokers and 75% of recent quitters were advised to quit smoking by health care providers. However, only 33% (51% of smokers and 20% of recent quitters) expressed interest in cessation programs. The study shows that “innovative approaches to increase interest in cessation programs need to be developed and tested” for this population.

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