Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

A Novel Harm Reduction Approach for Oncology Outpatients who Smoke and Refuse Traditional Tobacco Treatment

Award Number: R01CA293735
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

A Novel Harm Reduction Approach for Oncology Outpatients who Smoke and Refuse Traditional Tobacco Treatment - ABSTRACT The prevalence of cigarette smoking is high for patients being treated for cancer care, and it is critical for these patients to quit smoking. The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I) provided funding to selected NCI-designated cancer centers to support the integration of evidence-based tobacco treatment into routine cancer care. Yet, only 15.4% of patients at C3I funded centers received at least one component of treatment. Indeed, data from our own C3I funded NCI-designated cancer center show that 23% of oncology outpatients refuse all tobacco treatment. For these patients, novel and appealing interventions that can reduce cigarette smoking and reduce harm from tobacco are urgently needed. Switching from cigarettes to e- cigarettes reduces exposure to carcinogens and may be an appealing harm reduction intervention for patients in cancer care who refuse traditional treatment. We propose a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial among oncology outpatients at an NCI-designated cancer center who smoke and refuse all components of tobacco treatment (N=208). We will directly compare rates of switching to e-cigarettes to standard care, and advance understanding of key barriers and facilitators of implementation processes. Participants will be randomly assigned to either 1) an e-cigarette switching approach (Switch), or 2) a control group that receives the standard of care (SC, provision of additional tobacco treatment resources). Participants in the Switch Group will receive a 13-week supply of e-cigarettes (1-week to use ad libitum in advance of switching and 12 weeks to use following their Target Switch Date). The primary outcome is complete switching (abstinence from cigarettes) at Week 12 (Aim 1). We will conduct a mixed methods evaluation of implementation processes for the e-cigarette switching approach (Aim 2). To further evaluate the impact of harm reduction in this population, we will collect exploratory data on the impact of switching to e-cigarettes on the biological effects of cancer risk (i.e., inflammation and DNA damage) and subjective effects of product use on health-related quality of life (Exploratory Aim 3). This study builds upon our preliminary data across a range of studies demonstrating that 1) a sizable portion of oncology outpatients nationally who smoke refuse traditional treatment and plan to continue smoking, 2) an e-cigarette switching approach can significantly reduce cigarette smoking and promote smoking abstinence, even among difficult-to-treat populations, and 3) a harm reduction approach is feasible and acceptable to oncology outpatients. The proposed trial will be led by two seasoned investigators in collaboration with a strong group of Co-Investigators with expertise in smoking cessation, cancer care, harm reduction, non-combustible tobacco products, and clinical trials. The proposed trial is highly significant, no matter the results, and has the potential to influence harm reductions approaches for tobacco among patients in cancer care.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $612,948 )
2026	2026	THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA	179 ASHLEY AVE	CHARLESTON	SC	29425	CHARLESTON	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	2	4/16/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$61,295
2026	2026	THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA	179 ASHLEY AVE	CHARLESTON	SC	29425	CHARLESTON	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	2	1/15/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$551,653
														Subtotal = $612,948

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $619,175 )
2025	2025	THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA	179 ASHLEY AVE	CHARLESTON	SC	29425	CHARLESTON	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	11/29/2024	NEW	$619,175
														Subtotal = $619,175

Grand Total All Awards = $1,232,123

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

A Novel Harm Reduction Approach for Oncology Outpatients who Smoke and Refuse Traditional Tobacco Treatment

Award Number: R01CA293735

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2029

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer