I Already Have Lung Cancer, is it Worh it to Quit Smoking?
Updated August 02, 2015.
Question: I already have lung cancer. Is it worth it to quit smoking?
Answer:
The answer is an overwhelming yes! I have heard that quitting smoking is a difficult task, one that can seem daunting amid the stress of a cancer diagnosis. Here are four reasons for quitting after a lung cancer diagnosis:
1. Quitting may improve lung cancer survival
In a recent study of 250 patients it was found that those patients with lung cancer who quit smoking lived longer.
This translated to a median survival (the amount of time after which 50% are alive and 50% have died) of 28 months for people who quit smoking, versus 18 months for those who continued to smoke. There may even be a survival benefit for those who attempt quitting but do not quite completely.
2. Quitting can raise the success of lung cancer surgery
Those that quit smoking prior to lung cancer surgery have better survival rates than those who continue to smoke.
3. Quitting can make treatment more effective
Patients who quit smoking during radiation therapy fair better than those who do not.
4. Quitting lowers the risk of death from other causes
Many people with lung cancer die from unrelated causes, such as heart disease. Several of these “other diseases” are also caused by smoking.
For those who want help quitting, About.com’s Guide to Smoking Cessation, Terry Martin, offers Your Quit Smoking ToolBox to get you started.
Sources:
Amato, D. et al. Tobacco Cessation May Improve Lung Cancer Patient Survival. Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 2015. 10(7):1014-9.
Florou, A. et al. Clinical Significance of Smoking Cessation in Patients With Cancer: A 30-Year Review. Respiratory Cancer. 2014 Sep 2. (Epub ahead of print).
Nakamura, H. et al. Smoking Affects Prognosis after Lung Cancer Surgery.Surgery Today. 2008. 38(3):227-231.
Parsons, A. et al. Influence of smoking cessation after diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer on prognosis: systematic review of observational studies with meta-analysis. British Medical Journal BMJ2010:340:b5569. Published online 21 January 2010.
Rades, D. et al. Effect of Smoking During Radiotherapy, Respiratory Insufficiency, and Hemoglobin Levels on Outcome in Patients Irradiated for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics. 2008. Feb 5(Epub ahead of time.)
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