A sizable minority offer their patients no TUT services. Based on our results, the following recommendations should be considered: 1.All Cancer Centers who treat patients should have a TUT program within their center. during Cancer Centers exist to effectively treat cancer patients, to prevent future cancer recurrences, and to conduct research on cancer treatment and prevention. Given that tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following a cancer diagnosis, TUT program availability to Center patients should be central to the mission of all Cancer Centers. Literature also indicates that cancer patients benefit from specialized services to help them quit smoking (McBride & Ostroff, 2003).
Given the positive impacts on cancer patients, family members, and staff, it is surprising that comprehensive TUT is not uniformly integrated into all Centers. Since Centers that have a TUT program appear to provide significantly more meaningful TUT services and enjoy stronger administrative support, all Cancer Centers without a TUT program should have one within their Center. The 2008 U. S. Department of Health and Human Services�� Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence Clinical Practice Guideline promotes dissemination of effective TUT medications and counseling strategies, as well as care for specific populations, including cancer patients (Fiore et al., 2008). Having a TUT program within a cancer center will increase Cancer Center providers�� familiarity with best practices in TUT, a foundational step in helping the Centers incorporate evidence-based tools to support cancer patients in becoming tobacco free.
2.The NCI should facilitate the incorporation of TUT services into Cancer Center care. The NCI can play a pivotal role in helping their designated Cancer Centers offer TUT programs. Since tobacco research programs in and of themselves were not related to the provision of TUT services, research on tobacco addiction, while desirable, is not sufficient to ensure service provision. NCI Cancer Centers, recognized as leaders in cancer treatment and research, cannot be seen as offering substandard care when it comes to treating tobacco use, a highly addictive behavior that causes cancer, compromises cancer treatment, and increases risk of cancer recurrence.
To begin changing this paradigm, the NCI sponsored a conference in 2009, attended by representatives from over three dozen Cancer Centers, to discuss collaboration and research for TUT (Morgan et al., 2011). This conference highlighted model programs to serve as best practices in providing guidance to Cancer Batimastat Centers as they develop or expand TUT services. Further promotion of TUT services may occur if quality indicators for NCI Center designation and funding include published, evidenced-based TUT guidelines.