Reduction of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Exposure In Pediatric Cancer Patients

SMOKN5 is aimed at studying ways to reduce environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for children who are being treated for cancer. The study includes St. Jude parents whose child lives with at least one adult smoker who exposes the child to ETS, also called "secondhand smoke." We are comparing two groups of parents to see which group results in lower ETS exposure levels for the child being treated with cancer. The first group will receive the standard information and advice usually given to parents about secondhand smoke. The second group will take part in a new program designed to reduce ETS. The primary objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of an environmental tobacco smoke intervention compared to the standard care control condition, as measured by parent report. Parents in each group answer questions about ETS exposure. We also collect urine samples from the child at specific time points throughout the study. The urine is tested to measure the amount of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine. Measuring cotinine tells us how much nicotine from tobacco smoke the child has been exposed to. Children who are at least 10 years of age or older will also be asked to complete a set of questions pertaining to their tobacco use history and ETS exposure from others. This will occur at the same five time points in which the parent completes his/her portion. The study will last about 12 months for each participating family. Parents who take part in the study may learn how to lower their child's exposure to ETS, and this may, in turn, lower the child's chances of having ETS-related health problems.