Tobacco Cessation

Tobacco cessation is an important part of ongoing cancer care, and, in instances when a patient may need to undergo extensive surgery, it is mandatory. At UMMC, the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research can design a treatment plan to meet your needs, and increase the likelihood you will quit and stay tobacco-free.

There are many important reasons to quit tobacco use if you have been diagnosed with cancer, including:

• It is a direct and significant cause of cancers.
• Using tobacco can cause cancers to become more aggressive.
• Continuing to use tobacco may make cancer treatments less effective.
• Quitting tobacco, even once you have been diagnosed with cancer, doubles your chances for 5-year survival.

You'll meet with a certified tobacco treatment specialist who will:

• Evaluate your tobacco use.
• Work with you to develop a personalized plan to quit.
• Teach you skills and strategies to help break the cycle of nicotine addiction.
• Show you how to manage addiction-related behaviors, thoughts and feelings.
• Help you obtain prescriptions, when needed, to maximize your chances of success.

We have very good success rates and will be with you every step of the way.

We can help you quit:

• Traditional smoked tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes).
• Smokeless products (snuff, snus, long-cut chew, dissolvable tobacco such as sticks, orbs, strips).
• Hookah or waterpipe products.
• E-cigarettes and other addictive vaping devices such as pens.

Quitting tobacco use is the first step toward a healthier, cancer-free life.To learn how we can help, call (601) 815-1180 or visit act2quit.org.

It’s never too late to quit using tobacco or vaping products.  

Dr. Pierre de Delva, thoracic surgeon and Interdisciplinary Thoracic (Lung) Cancer program leader, and Dr. Karen Crews, former ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Research director, discuss why it’s important to quit and how ACT can help.