No Smoker Left Behind

No Smoker Left Behind

Quitting or reducing smoking is the most important lifestyle change you can make to help improve your health during and after cancer treatment.

If you are a cancer patient and are listed as a smoker in your medical record, you will be automatically contacted by No Smoker Left Behind to offer you options to quit or reduce smoking.

What to Expect from the Program

Once enrolled, you will receive automated calls to connect you to evidence-based treatments. You will receive a 5-minute interactive voice recorded call from Dr. Andrea King, UChicago Medicine smoking-cessation expert.

In this call, you will:

• Answer a few questions about your smoking behaviors
• Learn about the treatment options available to help you quit or reduce smoking
• Select an option that fits your needs (or you can opt out of the program)
• Connect to your selected treatment options
• Receive follow-up calls from the program to track your progress

There is no cost to participate in this program.

Treatment Options

UChicago Medicine (often covered by insurance):

• Individual virtual counseling to help you quit or reduce smoking with our dedicated specialist, Anne Roupas, LCSW
• Group-based virtual counseling through the Courage to Quit® program led by Dr. Andrea King and her team of experts
• Medications to help you quit or reduce smoking, prescribed by your healthcare team

Phone-based and no cost treatment options:

• Illinois Tobacco Quitline offers free phone-based counseling and nicotine replacement patches
• A free text-messaging program sponsored by SmokeFree.gov and the National Cancer Institute to help you quit or reduce smoking

Benefits of quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis include:

• Longer life span
• Faster recovery and fewer/less serious side effects from treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• Reduced risk of:
  • Secondary cancers
  • Infection
  • Scarring
  • Heart or lung disease
• Easier breathing and more energy
• Money saved by no longer buying cigarettes
• Improved quality of life

No Smoker Left Behind is supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Contact Us

For more information, call 773-702-6188.