Buczek, Erin J.Harrington, Kathleen F.Hendricks, Peter S.Schmalbach, Cecelia E.2019-06-262019-06-262018-05-09Buczek, E. J., Harrington, K. F., Hendricks, P. S., & Schmalbach, C. E. (2018). Electronic Cigarette Awareness, Use, and Perceptions among Cancer Patients. OTO open, 2(2), 2473974X18774543. doi:10.1177/2473974X18774543https://hdl.handle.net/1805/19672Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are an emerging trend, yet little is known about their use in the cancer population. The objectives of this study were (1) to describe characteristics of e-cig use among cancer patients, (2) to define e-cig advertising exposure, and (3) to characterize perceptions of traditional cigarettes versus e-cigs. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Comprehensive cancer center. Subjects and Methods: Inpatient, current smokers with a cancer diagnosis. E-cig exposure and use were defined using descriptive statistics. Wilcoxon rank test was used to compare perceptions between e-cigs and traditional cigarettes. Results: A total of 979 patients were enrolled in the study; 39 cancer patients were identified. Most cancer patients were women (59%), with an average age of 53.3 years. Of the patients, 46.2% reported e-cig use, most of which (88.9%) was "experimental or occasional." The primary reason for e-cig use was to aid smoking cessation (66.7%), alternative use in nonsmoking areas (22.2%), and "less risky" cigarette replacement (5.6%). The most common sources for e-cig information were TV (76.9%), stores (48.7%), friends (35.9%), family (30.8%), and newspapers or magazines (12.8%). Compared with cigarettes, e-cigs were viewed as posing a reduced health risk (P < .001) and conferring a less negative social impression (P < .001). They were also viewed as less likely to satisfy nicotine cravings (P = .002), to relieve boredom (P = .0005), to have a calming effect (P < .001), and as tasting pleasant (P = .006). Conclusions: E-cig use and advertising exposure are common among cancer patients. E-cig use is perceived as healthier and more socially acceptable but less likely to produce a number of desired consequences of cigarette use.en-USAttribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United StatesCancer patientsElectronic cigarettesSmoking cessationArticle