Electronic cigarette use patterns and reasons for use among smokers recently diagnosed with cancer

Abstract

Many patients with cancer use electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes), yet little is known about patterns and reasons for use. Using cross‐sectional baseline data from a randomized controlled trial, we aimed to describe prevalence and correlates of e‐cigarette use, frequency of use, and reasons for use among smokers recently diagnosed with cancer. Participants (n = 302) included adults (age ≥18 years) recently diagnosed with varied cancer types who smoked ≥1 cigarette within the past 30‐d from two US academic medical centers. Participants reported ever and current e‐cigarette use, and current e‐cigarette users reported days of e‐cigarette use and the main reason for use. We compared current, former, and never e‐cigarette users by sociodemographics, cancer type, medical comorbidities, smoking behaviors, attitudes, and emotional symptoms, and described use among current e‐cigarette users. Of smokers recently diagnosed with cancer, 49% (n = 149) reported ever e‐cigarette use and 19% (n = 56) reported current use. Of current e‐cigarette users, 29% (n = 16) reported daily use. Current e‐cigarette users did not differ from former and never e‐cigarette users by cancer type, smoking behaviors, or emotional symptoms. Women were more likely to be current users than never users, and current e‐cigarette users had less education than former users. Most current e‐cigarette users reported using them to help quit smoking (75%). One in five smokers with cancer report current e‐cigarette use, but most are not using e‐cigarettes daily. The majority report using e‐cigarettes to quit smoking. E‐cigarette use by patients with cancer appears to reflect a desire to quit smoking.

Electronic Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation in the Perioperative Period of Cardiothoracic Surgery: Views of Australian Clinicians

“…Yet the provision of perioperative cessation support by clinicians is negatively affected by factors such as the lack of hospital onsite cessation staff and resources, clinicians’ inadequate knowledge of available cessation services, and patients’ prior failed quit attempts with cessation pharmacotherapy [ 7 , 8 ]. The need for patients with coronary artery disease and lung cancer to explore different and novel methods to reduce or eliminate their tobacco use, has given rise to an increased number of patient-clinician discussions about electronic cigarettes [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. This has led to a similar rise in studies exploring how clinicians involved in the care of patients with such tobacco-induced diseases, interact with their patients around this topic [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Cigarette, E-cigarette, Alcohol, and Marijuana Use by Cancer Diagnosis Status: A Longitudinal Analysis

“…The following demographic characteristics were included in the analysis: age (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54), and 55 years old or older), sex (male or female), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, or non-Hispanic other races), poverty status (<100% of poverty guideline, 100%-199% of poverty guideline, and ⩾200% of poverty guideline), education level (less than high school, high school graduate or equivalent, some college [no degree] or associate degree, bachelor's degree, or advanced degree), residential region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), and other tobacco product use ("Yes" or "No"). The poverty income guideline was based on the 2015 poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.…”

“… 23 Among samples of cancer patients who smoked cigarettes, about 6.5% to 19% reported current e-cigarette use. 24 , 25 Moreover, a cross-sectional U.S. study among cancer patients at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance found that 2.8% of those with a history of cancer reported current e-cigarette use, which was lower than among the general population. 26 For marijuana use, Pergam et al 27 found that in a state where recreational marijuana use was legal, past-year and past-month prevalences were 24% and 21%, respectively.…”

“… 30 Most prior studies of substance use among cancer survivors are focused on specific types of cancer (childhood cancer 28 , 31 , 32 and lung cancer, 19 and retinoblastoma 29 ), with studies using small or non-generalizable samples. 19 , 20 , 24 , 25 , 29 , 30 In this study, we assessed the prevalence of current cigarette, e-cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use among adults with a history of cancer and those without a cancer history using nationally representative data. Additionally, this study examined the sociodemographic characteristics associated with substance use among patients diagnosed with cancer.…”

Use of electronic cigarettes in the perioperative period: A mixed-method study exploring perceptions of cardiothoracic patients in Australia

“…International research shows that inadequate access to cessation support can contribute to hospitalised patients’ interest in using e-cigarettes to help quit smoking 11 . In view of the need to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use in patients with cancer or CAD, and the recurrence of primary disease and development of secondary disease, studies have shown that e-cigarettes can address a number of behavioural and psychosocial factors contributing to relapse 12 and are being used to reduce or quit smoking 13-15 , reduce the harm of tobacco use 16 , and reduce nicotine cravings 17 . In Australia, smoking rates are low, yet smoking prevalence and the incidence of lung cancer and CAD is higher among older, disadvantaged, or lower socioeconomic groups 18-20 .…”