Table 1 Outline of smoking cessation intervention to be delivered by nurse counselor

At baseline

Stage-matched Smoking Cessation Counseling

(a) Pre-contemplation: Increase awareness of need to change; decisional balance; applying 5 “R”s: relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, repetition

(b) Contemplation: Motivate and increase confidence in ability to quit smoking; enhancing confidence in quitting by reinforcing achievement in previous quit attempt(s)

(c) Preparation: Set a quit plan and boost self-efficacy to resist smoking; discuss possible withdrawal symptoms and relapse prevention strategies

Risk communication via Self-regulation model of Illness

(a) Identity – recognizing the sign and symptoms of cancer

(b) Help patients understand the cause of cancer (smoking)

(c) Explain to patients the consequence of continue smoking or smoking cessation

(d) Emphasis the stage or cancer prognosis can be controlled by stopping smoking

(e) Reinforce patients’ abilities to change the overall timeline or prognosis of cancer if they can quit smoking substantially

At 1-week and 1-month telephone counseling

(1) Assess health-related lifestyle practices with emphasis on smoking cessation,

(2) Progress of patient’s action plan,

(3) Assess barriers encountered in the behavior change process,

(4) Boost self-efficacy, and

(5) Reinforce cancer related risk perceptions of continue smoking