Actively Recruiting
Contingency Management for Veteran Smokers With or at Risk for Cancer
Led by VA Office of Research and Development · Updated on 2025-09-30
108
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
6 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
V
VA Office of Research and Development
Lead Sponsor
U
University of California, San Francisco
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This research aims to evaluate a program called Contingency Management (CM) to help Veterans who smoke and are undergoing lung cancer screening or cancer care at VA clinics. Smoking during cancer screening or treatment is linked to worse health outcomes and higher healthcare costs. The study will assess the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of CM, a behavioral therapy that uses rewards to encourage quitting smoking, compared with usual care and counseling. The project includes three phases. First, focus groups with Veterans and healthcare staff will develop a mobile CM program using their feedback. Next, a pilot study will test the feasibility of the mobile CM combined with counseling and medication over five weeks in 20 Veterans. If successful, a larger randomized trial will compare mobile CM plus counseling and medication against usual care involving referral and quitline support, with both groups receiving pharmacotherapy. Participants will be Veterans in lung cancer screening or cancer care who smoke. They will complete questionnaires, attend counseling sessions, and use a CO monitor and app to verify smoking abstinence remotely. Researchers will track smoking behavior, medication use, attendance, and carbon monoxide levels over several weeks. Outcomes include changes in smoking habits, nicotine dependence, and abstinence rates. Safety and study retention will also be monitored throughout the study period.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Smoking Cessation CM for Veterans With or at Risk for Cancer
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Age 18 years or older
- Veteran eligible for VA healthcare
- English-speaking
- Received lung cancer screening or cancer treatment at the VA within the past 24 months
- Active cigarette smoking within the past 24 months
- Access to Wi-Fi and a device supporting audio and video communication
- Veteran currently receiving medical care at the VA with at least one visit for cancer
- Current enrollment in lung cancer screening or a documented cancer diagnosis in the VA medical record
- Smoking at least one cigarette per day on average in the past 30 days
- Open to receiving smoking cessation interventions
You will not qualify if you...
- Current severe untreated mental illness such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, or substance use disorder
- Active suicidal or homicidal thoughts or severe behavioral instability in the past 30 days
- Never smokers or quit smoking longer than 36 months before consent
- No access to Wi-Fi or devices supporting audio and video communication
- Unable to commit 1.5 hours for focus groups or required participation time
- Unstable psychiatric or medical conditions in the past 30 days judged by the investigator
- Untreated active problem gambling
- Metastatic cancer or enrolled in end-of-life or palliative care
- Currently pregnant or planning pregnancy during the study (for ages 18-55)
- Suicide attempt or suicidal intent in the past 30 days
- Concurrent enrollment in another tobacco cessation clinical trial
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 screening and enrollment visit
Duration - 5 weeks
Participants receive a 5-week smoking cessation program including mobile contingency management with daily remote carbon monoxide monitoring and weekly behavioral counseling sessions delivered by video or telephone.
Weekly visits (remote or in-person) plus daily remote monitoring 5 times per week
Duration - Up to 19 weeks after the 5-week intervention
Participants are followed for smoking cessation outcomes and medication use up to 24 weeks after the intervention.
Visits at Weeks 5, 12, and 24
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, California, United States, 94121-1563
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
E
Ellen Herbst, MD
M
Madeline Martinez Rivas, PhD
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
3
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