Smoking Cessation Intervention for Thoracic Patients

This is a pilot study evaluating the feasibility of a cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation plus Varenicline program, designed specifically for early stage lung cancer patients and patients with a potential lung cancer diagnosis pre and post-surgery. The study population will be approximately 80 smokers who have upcoming lung resection surgery scheduled at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston. A patient will be considered eligible for the intervention or control group if he or she 1) is scheduled for a lung resection surgery with either a lung cancer diagnosis or a potential lung cancer diagnosis, and 2) had a cigarette in the past 2 weeks, 3) is willing to make a pre-surgical quit attempt. Patients will be excluded from the control group if they are 1) non-English speaking, 2) determined medically ineligible by their surgeon/oncologist, 3) suffering from psychosis or dementia 4) is currently on Varenicline has been on Varenicline for more than 3 weeks, or 5) is otherwise unable to participate in the intervention. Patients will be excluded from the intervention group if they are 1) non-English speaking, 2) determined medically ineligible by their surgeon, 3) suffering from psychosis or dementia 4) have been taking Varenicline for longer than three weeks 5) have been taking Bupropion (for smoking cessation purposes) for more than three weeks, 6) is otherwise unable to participate in the intervention.

Inclusion criteria

A patient is eligible if he/she:

• Is scheduled for a lung resection surgery with either a lung cancer diagnosis or a potential lung cancer diagnosis
• Smoked a cigarette in the past 2 weeks
• Is willing to make a pre-surgical quit attempt

Exclusion criteria

Patients will be excluded from the intervention group if they are:

• Non-English speaking
• Determined medically ineligible by their surgeon
• Suffering from psychosis or dementia
• Have been taking Varenicline for longer than three weeks
• Have been taking Bupropion (for smoking cessation purposes) for more than three weeks
• Is otherwise unable to participate in the intervention.