Thomas Bennett had tried to quit chewing tobacco 75 to 100 times before he came to Mayo Clinic. Even a precancerous lesion in his mouth hadn’t stopped him. Before every doctor’s appointment, “I’d throw my can of chew out, she would say I don’t have cancer, and then I would go get a can of chew again,” Thomas recalls. “That’s how strong my addiction was.”

It was in April 2021 that Thomas joined Mayo Clinic’s Intensive Tobacco Treatment Program, a five-day inpatient option in Rochester, Minnesota. Two-thirds of participants successfully quit — even though only 7.5% of American smokers manage to do so each year.

“This is the most intensive therapy you can get,” says Dr. Jon Ebbert medical director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. “Most of the time participants say, ‘This is my last hope,’” having tried every other treatment option. But Dr. Ebbert insists, “It’s not your last hope. Even if you relapse, you’ll be able to quit again because you’ll have all the skills — and all the pills — to be successful.” The methods are effective for cigarettes, smokeless tobacco or vaping (if adopted to replace other tobacco products).

Even when he arrived at Mayo Clinic, Thomas had his can of chew. Before check-in, “I was secretly chewing tobacco in a tobacco-free environment,” he laughs. Yet Thomas also was determined to invest in his health. “I just wanted to be locked away,” he says. “But Mayo’s approach is so different from anywhere else.”

The Intensive Tobacco Treatment Program was inspired in 1992 by a Mayo Clinic pilot study. For two weeks, researchers provided 24 smokers with inpatient care — group counseling, stress management, nicotine-replacement therapy. A year later, many remained tobacco-free. This inspired the Mayo Clinic team to launch a similar program, and it has proven remarkably effective. One study showed a success rate nearly double that of an outpatient option, even though the residential patients were heavier smokers.

For five days, participants immerse themselves in recovery. Each person receives a custom treatment plan, with medications and nicotine-replacement therapies targeted to their needs. “I don’t think there was one of us on the exact same program,” says Brian Fulford, a 2021 participant who successfully quit smoking after 30 years. “It was very tailored.”

For five days, participants immerse themselves in recovery. Each person receives a custom treatment plan, with medications and nicotine-replacement therapies targeted to their needs. “I don’t think there was one of us on the exact same program,” says Brian Fulford, a 2021 participant who successfully quit smoking after 30 years. “It was very tailored.”

A physician visits each participant daily, adjusting dosages to manage withdrawal or cravings.  The program also provides one-on-one counseling, group support and medical lectures. Topics include relapse prevention, mindfulness and the physiology of addiction. “You’ve got to get away from your life, manage depression and anxiety, learn about mindfulness, understand the pills. We bring all of that together,” says Dr. Ebbert.

Teresa, a Mayo Clinic nurse who smoked for nearly four decades, still relies on many of the strategies she learned during her five days. “Cigarettes were my best friend,” she says. “My new best friend is now crocheting.” Teresa picked up the hobby while in treatment, partly to occupy her hands. She also keeps nicotine gum and lozenges close by — strategically stashing them in her purse, car and around her house. It’s been a year since she’s had a cigarette.

Four individual follow-up sessions and ongoing medication management are included in the cost of the program. “It’s an intense five days where you’re extracting yourself from your daily routine, but it’s a long-term program,” says Dr. Ebbert. 

Virtual group follow-ups are also available, though many participants choose to stay connected on their own. For Brian, this camaraderie proved critical to his success. “I picture the faces of everyone — my co-patients and my counselors — and that provides me with an incredible amount of strength (not to smoke),” he says. His group still meets on Zoom every month. 

At the end of the program, participants are invited to write a goodbye letter to tobacco. “It was emotional,” recalls Thomas. “Tobacco had been such a part of my life.” But, nearly two years later, he hasn’t gone back to it. “This program 100% transformed the trajectory of my life.”

Sessions are scheduled regularly. Click here to enroll.

The post Mayo Clinic’s unique tobacco program brings hope for long-term addiction appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Why cancer patients should stop smoking
Regardless of how long you've smoked, stopping smoking can improve your health. There's no better time than the present to make this change for your health, and for cancer patients undergoing treatment, kicking the habit is especially important. Learn more from Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center.

Alternative cancer treatments: 10 options to consider 
Alternative cancer treatments may not play a direct role in curing your cancer, but they may help you cope. Many signs and symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments, including anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, difficulty sleeping and stress, may be eased by alternative treatments. Find out if massage, yoga, music therapy, meditation and other alternative treatments might be right for you.

The post Living With Cancer: Do you know the risk factors for lung cancer? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads at the end of the post.
Please 'Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network.' Read the script.

Smoking and tobacco use is a common cause of deadly cancers.

"We know that 30 percent of all cancer-related deaths are due to tobacco," says Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center.

And for cancer patients undergoing treatment, kicking the habit is especially important.

"We know that people who have cancer will do better with regard to chemotherapy complications and radiation therapy complications. They’ll have less toxicity from those," says Dr. Hays. "They’ll have better quality of life after their cancer treatment if they’re not smoking. They’ll have longer life. It also impacts the family who wants the patient to quit, and it creates a great tension."

Dr. Hays says it’s imperative that treatment for nicotine addiction begins as soon as a cancer diagnosis is made.

"The basic treatment that everyone should receive is some behavioral therapy, counseling, support and medications that help reduce withdrawal."

Dr. Hays says he hopes the future of cancer care includes aggressive intervention and treatment for tobacco dependence.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Why cancer patients should stop smoking appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has received a supplemental grant from the National Cancer Institute to ensure that all cancer patients who use tobacco have access to treatment for their tobacco use. The two-year, $500,000 grant, part of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Moonshot initiative, will fund programs at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center that will expand tobacco cessation treatment services for cancer patients.

“This grant will help us increase assistance to cancer patients who use tobacco by providing evidence-based tobacco cessation support,” says Thulasee Jose, M.D. a research fellow working on the project. “We want to make sure that tobacco use treatment is an integral part of cancer care at the Mayo Clinic. Quitting can increase the chances of successful treatment and decrease the chance of cancer recurrence.”

“Almost 30 percent of all cancer deaths are related to smoking,” says J. Taylor Hays, M.D., medical director for the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center (NDC). “The NDC provides counseling to help patients explore opportunities for quitting using motivational techniques and medications proven to increase the chance of successfully quitting tobacco for good.”

The program for cancer patients will draw on the expertise of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. The center was one of the first in the country to focus exclusively on treatments for tobacco dependence. The center’s model of care has become the standard in many health care facilities across the U.S. The center's treatment team offers patient support in developing the motivation and skills required to stop using tobacco.

###

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call the Clinical Trials Referral Office at 1-855-776-0015 (toll-free).

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Media contact:

• Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic receives National Cancer Institute grant to help cancer patients quit tobacco appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, will explain antibiotic resistance and antibiotic allergies. Also on the program, Dr. Robert Jacobson, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic, will discuss whether children should take probiotics. And Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, has a warning about the dangers of using e-cigarettes.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic allergies appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, will explain antibiotic resistance and antibiotic allergies. Also on the program, Dr. Robert Jacobson, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic, will discuss whether children should take probiotics. And Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, has a warning about the dangers of using e-cigarettes.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

{ Edit }

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Antibiotic resistance / kids and probiotics / dangers of e-cigarettes appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that mice exposed to e-cigarette vapor experienced DNA damage to certain organs that could increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Because there are so many unknowns and there is no scientific evidence that vaping is safe, Mayo Clinic experts urge e-cigarette users to be cautious. Jason Howland has more in this Mayo Clinic Minute.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.

The use of electronic cigarettes, also called vaping, has exploded in the last five years.

"There are probably 600 different kinds you can purchase on the internet," says Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. "There are 7-8,000 different solutions that you can purchase."

Dr. Hays says e-cigarette manufacturing is a relatively unregulated industry. And, while some people might think they are safe to vape, Dr. Hays says the harmful chemicals in that vapor are similar to tobacco smoke but at much lower levels.

"It's safer, but it's not safe," he says. "What we don't know are what long-term effects will these lower-level toxicants have."

Dr. Hays says some patients prefer to use e-cigarettes as an aid to stop smoking. He says, while vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes, there are safer and proven effective alternatives for people who want to quit smoking.

"And that's behavioral counseling — even brief counseling — and approved medications," says Dr. Hays.

The post Mayo Clinic Minute: Are e-cigarettes safe? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Richard Hurt, emeritus director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, discuss the decades-long fight against big tobacco. The tobacco companies were required to begin running court-ordered television and newspaper ads – called corrective statements – to tell the American public the truth about the dangers of smoking. Also on the podcast, Dr. Yogish Kudva, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, discusses new diabetes technologies. And, Dr. Rizwan Sohail, director of the Travel and Tropical Medicine Clinic at Mayo Clinic, explains what causes motion sickness and how to avoid it.

The post #MayoClinicRadio Podcast: 1/6/18 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

In November 2017, the major U.S. tobacco companies were required to begin running court-ordered television and newspaper ads that tell the American public the truth about the dangers of smoking. The ads – called corrective statements –will run for one year on television networks during prime time and in print and online in about 50 newspapers. These corrective statements are a part of the 2006 ruling in a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit, which sought to punish cigarette makers for decades of deceiving the public about the dangers of their products.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Richard Hurt, emeritus director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, will discuss the decades-long fight against big tobacco. Also on the program, Dr. Yogish Kudva, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, will discuss new diabetes technologies. And, Dr. Rizwan Sohail, director of the Travel and Tropical Medicine Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will explain what causes motion sickness and how to avoid it.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Corrective statements required from tobacco companies appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Richard Hurt, emeritus director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, will discuss the decades-long fight against big tobacco. Also on the program, Dr. Yogish Kudva, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, will discuss new diabetes technologies. And, Dr. Rizwan Sohail, director of the Travel and Tropical Medicine Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will explain what causes motion sickness and how to avoid it.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Tobacco company corrective statements / diabetes technology / motion sickness appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.