Almost a third of health professionals would not recommend e-cigarettes to cancer patients who already smoke, according to research presented at the 2018 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference.
The nationwide online survey of UK health professionals examined knowledge, attitudes and current practice in relation to the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation intervention in patients with cancer. Of the 506 health professionals (HPs) who completed the survey, 103 were GPs, 102 were oncologists, 100 were cancer surgeons, 102 were practice nurses and 99 were cancer nurse specialists.
Twenty-nine percent of HPs said they would not recommend e-cigarettes to cancer patients who smoke. Cancer surgeons and cancer nurse specialists were significantly less likely to recommend e-cigarettes. Over a third believed colleagues would feel uncomfortable about recommending e-cigarettes to cancer patients.
Over half of HPs felt they did not have enough knowledge to recommend e-cigarettes to cancer patients. A quarter did not know whether e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarette smoking.
The majority of respondents reported that e-cigarettes were either banned or only allowed in designated tobacco smoking areas in both primary and secondary care. Forty-six per cent reported their organisation did not have guidance on e-cigarettes 45% of were unsure.
“While UK health policy promotes e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, this has not yet been adopted by local health organisations, causing barriers to and uncertainty around promoting use of e-cigarettes in cancer patients that smoke,” the authors said. They advise that training of health professionals and local adoption of e-cigarette policies are needed.
