Impact of a Patient's Lung Cancer Diagnosis on Relatives' Understanding of Genetic Risk Information and Receptivity to Quit Smoking

Detailed Summary

Background: \- A health event can be a powerful motivator for abrupt behavior changes. For instance, many people who smoke stop after having a heart attack or being diagnosed with cancer. A relative s health event may have a similar effect. For instance, smokers may try to quit after learning that a parent or sibling has lung cancer. Researchers want to study relatives of people with lung cancer to see how the relative s diagnosis affects a person s willingness to quit smoking or have genetic testing. Objectives: \- To study the impact of a relative s lung cancer diagnosis on a person s approach to genetic testing and smoking cessation services. Eligibility: \- Current smokers between 18 and 55 years of age who are close blood relatives of people being treated for lung cancer. Design: * Participants will be recruited through telephone surveys. Participants will log on to a password-protected website. The site has two educational sessions and three surveys to complete. * Participants will also be offered free genetic testing. The test will see whether they have a gene that can reduce the effectiveness of some cancer treatment drugs. Those who agree to the test will collect a cheek swab sample at home and send the sample in for testing. They will receive the test results through the website. * The surveys will ask about risk perceptions and emotional responses to the relative s diagnosis. They will also ask about smoking history, motivation to quit, and reactions to information about smoking and genetic risk. * All participants will be able to receive free smoking cessation services. * Six months after completing the surveys, participants will have a follow-up phone call. The call will ask whether participants used the smoking cessation services.

Study Details

Timeline