Smoking and alcohol use are common causes of head and neck cancer and can make cancer recurrence more likely. To ensure that you heal well after treatment and lower your risk for recurrence, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center provides smoking and alcohol cessation programs to help you quit.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking can prevent your body from healing after surgery or radiation therapy. It can also harm your dental health and make treatment side effects worse.

Our BeSmokeFree program provides comprehensive support to help you stop smoking. This free program is available at four different times throughout the week, so it can easily fit into your schedule. Through the program, you’ll learn about strategies for quitting  smoking and connecting with other former smokers who can share their experiences with you.

We also offer clinical trials for medicines designed to help you quit smoking. These trials cover the cost of medication and monitor you throughout treatment.

Even if you have quit smoking, your doctor may recommend you undergo screening for lung cancer. This screening is commonly recommended for people over age 55 who have a 30 pack-year history. A pack-year is the equivalent of smoking one pack per day for a year. For example, if you smoked two packs per day for a year, that is a two pack-year history.

Alcohol Cessation

Alcohol use can also harm your dental health and increase your risk for cancer recurrence. Our caring team of psychologists and psychiatrists can help you overcome addiction to alcohol. Using a combination of therapies and medicines, we can help you stop drinking and improve your health.

Your doctor may also recommend you are screened for esophageal cancer. Though this cancer is rare, it is more common in people who drink heavily. To check for esophageal cancer, your doctor will insert a specialized camera into your throat. The camera will allow them to see abnormal cells in your esophagus that may be signs of cancer.