BACKGROUND-AIM:
A substantial proportion of individuals seeking smoking cessation support have a current or past cancer diagnosis. Tobacco use in oncological patients not only worsens prognosis but also interferes with treatment efficacy and quality of life. In response, a structured group-based smoking cessation program was developed for patients with oncological history and/or active disease. This study aims to assess the program’s effectiveness within this population.

METHODS:
A descriptive longitudinal design was applied. The sample included 146 participants (28 men, 118 women) enrolled in intervention groups conducted between 2022 and 2024. The program consisted of an initial individual assessment to determine eligibility, followed by ten 90-minute weekly group sessions, and two follow-up evaluations at 3 months (T2) and 9 months (T3) after program completion (T1). Smoking abstinence was self-reported at each time point.

RESULTS:
Descriptive data analysis revealed abstinence rates of 58.9% at T1 (60.7% men; 58.5% women), 41.8% at T2 (46.4% men; 40.7% women), and 26.7% at T3 (32.1% men; 25.4% women).

CONCLUSIONS:
Findings suggest that the group-based smoking cessation program is effective among oncological patients. Nevertheless, sustained abstinence remains challenging due to the dual impact of the disease process and the addictive nature of nicotine. Additional psychosocial and medical variables potentially influencing cessation outcomes were not analyzed in this study and should be explored in future research. The intervention demonstrates promising effectiveness in promoting smoking cessation among cancer patients. These results underscore the importance of designing tailored cessation strategies that address the specific clinical and psychological needs of oncological populations.