Smoking cessation counseling by Russian oncologists: Opportunities for intervention in the Russian federation

The goal of this study was to examine the degree to which Russian oncologists are trained in providing smoking cessation counseling to patients and to assess physician smoking cessation practices and attitudes about providing smoking cessation treatment. Sixty-three oncologists at a large cancer center in Moscow completed a brief survey. The results showed that Russian oncologists: (a) lack training in smoking interventions; (b) rarely offer cessation treatment; (c) exhibit beliefs about smoking that may serve as barriers to providing cessation counseling; and (d) desire training in cessation counseling. These results can be used to guide the development of smoking cessation training programs for Russian physicians.