On-the-go mindfulness support to quit smoking for cancer survivors
Official title: Mindfulness-based ecological momentary intervention for smoking cessation among cancer survivors
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11257696 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers brief mindfulness exercises delivered on smartphones to help cancer survivors stay smoke-free.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $211,737 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA271040-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257696 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are cancer survivors who currently smoke or recently quit and have a smartphone and willingness to try app-based mindfulness support.
✕Less likely to help
People without a smartphone, those who prefer only in-person therapy, or individuals with severe cognitive or sensory impairments may not benefit from the app-based approach.
What this research studies
As a cancer survivor who smokes or recently quit, you'll receive short mindfulness exercises and real-time prompts on your smartphone when you face cravings or stress. The app asks about cancer-related symptoms like pain, fatigue, and fear of recurrence and offers breathing and awareness practices tailored to those moments. Researchers will collect brief in-the-moment survey responses and app usage data to personalize support and learn which strategies reduce relapse. The program is designed to be shorter and more accessible than traditional in-person mindfulness programs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help cancer survivors reduce relapse and maintain long-term smoking abstinence with convenient, on-demand support.
How similar studies have gone: Mindfulness and mobile health approaches have helped some smokers in prior work, but combining real-time, cancer-specific mindfulness support on smartphones is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Min-Jeong — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Yang, Min-Jeong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.