Contact: Sara Quale
sara.quale@bannerhealth.com
(970) 810-6133
GREELEY, Colo. (Oct. 9, 2019) – The Tobacco and Nicotine Recovery program at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at North Colorado Medical Center and McKee Medical Center is improving the odds for patients who want to quit tobacco and nicotine.
Clinical health psychologist Monica Foster, PhD, offers the program at Banner Health Clinic specializing in pulmonology in partnership with Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at NCMC and McKee.
Dr. Foster said the program, developed by the Behavioral Science department of MD Anderson Cancer Center, succeeds because it uses many approaches rather than one tactic.
Research has shown that a person trying to quit “cold turkey” has a 7% chance of remaining abstinent. If that person tries products, like replacement patches, gums or lozenges, medication, and behavioral therapy, the odds increase to 45-50%, as shown in a recent JAMA Network Open study on MD Anderson’s Tobacco Treatment Program.
“To help someone recover completely from tobacco and nicotine, the program has to be designed to be personal. It has to be for the long term,” Dr. Foster said. “This is not a workshop. This is multifaceted and intensive.”
The first step is to look at a person’s readiness to quit. What are their patterns and history with tobacco and nicotine? This helps to create a customized plan to reduce or quit tobacco use.
“You can make such a difference in people’s lives through health changes, when you see a person have that ‘aha’ moment and really commit to making a difficult choice for the benefit of their long-term health, it is empowering,” Dr. Foster said.
The program currently is available through referral from a Banner MD Anderson physician or a Banner Health Clinic specialist.
About Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at North Colorado Medical Center and McKee Medical Center
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at North Colorado Medical Center and McKee Medical Center delivers cancer care to patients in Northern Colorado through the partnership of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Arizona, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services. For more information, visit www.BannerMDAnderson.com.