Smoking is directly attributable to almost one third of cancer deaths, including causal relationships with cancers of the lung, oral cavity, larynx, and oesophagus, and linkages to cancers of the bladder, pancreas, kidney, stomach, and uterine cervix.1 2Treating nicotine addiction is an obvious component of any disease management program for cancer patients, but also requires explicit and sensitive tailoring to meet patient needs.

Lung cancer patients who smoke often experience tremendous guilt and responsibility for their disease, and feel it might be too late for them. Others, like head and neck cancer patients, may not be aware of the relation of their smoking to their cancer. By discussing the causal risk factors related to their disease and how …