Nicotine Patch Therapy Based on Smoking Rate Followed by Bupropion for Prevention of Relapse to Smoking

• Published in: Journal of clinical oncology Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 914 - 920
• Main Authors: HURT, Richard D, KROOK, James E, MORTON, Roscoe F, MICHALAK, John C, SCHAEFER, Paul L, PORTER, Patricia A, STELLA, Philip J, CROGHAN, Ivana T, LOPRINZI, Charles L, SLOAN, Jeff A, NOVOTNY, Paul J, KARDINAL, Carl G, KNOST, James A, TIRONA, Maria Tria, ADDO, Ferdinand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore, MD American Society of Clinical Oncology 01.03.2003; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Bupropion - therapeutic use; Delayed-Action Preparations; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Nicotine - administration & dosage; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Recurrence; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking Cessation - methods; Smoking Prevention; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Treatment Outcome; Human; Prevention; Alkaloid; Chemotherapy; Relapse; Replacement therapy; Bupropion; Psychotropic; Tobacco smoking; Antidepressant agent; Patch; Nicotine
• ISSN: 0732-183X; 1527-7755
• DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2003.08.160

To determine whether (1) tailored nicotine patch therapy that is based on smoking rate can be carried out in a multisite oncology investigative group practice setting, (2) long-term use of bupropion reduces the rate of relapse to smoking in smokers who stop smoking with nicotine patch therapy, and (3) bupropion can initiate smoking abstinence among smokers who have failed to stop smoking after nicotine patch therapy. Fourteen North Central Cancer Treatment Group sites recruited generally healthy adult smokers from the general population for nicotine patch therapy and based the patch dosage on smoking rates. At completion of nicotine patch therapy, nonsmoking participants were eligible to be assigned to bupropion or placebo for 6 months (for relapse prevention). and smoking participants were eligible to be assigned to bupropion or placebo for 8 weeks of treatment. Of 578 subjects, 31% were abstinent from smoking at the end of nicotine patch therapy. Of those subjects not smoking at the end of nicotine patch therapy who entered the relapse prevention phase, 28% and 25% were not smoking at 6 months (the end of the medication phase) for bupropion and placebo, respectively (P =.73). For those still smoking at the end of nicotine patch therapy, 3.1% and 0.0% stopped smoking with bupropion or placebo, respectively (P =.12). Tailored nicotine patch therapy for the general population of smokers can be provided in a multisite oncology investigative group setting. Bupropion did not reduce relapse to smoking in smokers who stopped smoking with nicotine patch therapy. Bupropion did not initiate abstinence among smokers who failed to stop smoking with nicotine patch therapy.