For cancer patients, e-cigarettes not helpful for smoking cessation

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the journal Cancer, patients with cancer who use e-cigarettes as a form of smoking cessation are equally or less likely to quit smoking compared with those who do not use e-cigarettes. Researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, New York, sought to examine whether cancer patients using e-cigarettes affect smoking cessation due to the increased use of the device.

In the study, researchers followed 1,074 patients with cancer that smoke who were receiving care at a comprehensive cancer center and also part of a tobacco treatment program between 2012 and 2013. During that time, e-cigarette use rose from 10.6% to 38.5% of patients.

At follow-up, researchers found that the patients using e-cigarettes were equally as likely as non-users to still be smoking cigarettes. Furthermore, patients using e-cigarettes were found to be twice as likely to be regular smokers of cigarettes compared with non-users.

The American Cancer Society does not recommend for or against the the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation due to the lack of known and benefits and potential risks associated with long-term use.