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Smoking cessation and cancer- or I should be more clear an to the point by saying that the positive effect that stoping smoking has on a newly diagnosed cancer patients is dramatic.
I am a long-term cancer survivor who has struggled for decades with short, long-term and late stage side effects caused by both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. While I’ve always known that smoking cigarettes causes many different types of cancer, I did not know that smoking cigarettes negatively effected cancer therapies so much-
“Continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis is a significant challenge for successful treatment, including radiotherapy, reducing complete response rates and quality of life, and increasing the risk of radiation toxicities and complications, locoregional tumor recurrence, second cancers, and death.2-8″
Smoking is a significant risk factor for various types of cancer. Here are some of the most common cancers associated with smoking:
Based on everything I have read and been told, quitting smoking is one of the, if not the most difficult habit to break- bar none. Therefore, like most all posts on PeopleBeatingCancer.org, I am offering a problem- smoking cessation and cancer- as well as evidence-based non-conventional therapies linked below.
Have you been diagnosed with cancer…and are a smoker? If you would like to learn more about both conventional and non-conventional cancer therapies email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Hang in there,
“Smoking causes 1 in 5 cancers overall and nearly one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States.1 The association is particularly stark for lung cancers, more than 80% of which are caused by tobacco.1
Continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis is a significant challenge for successful treatment, including radiotherapy, reducing complete response rates and quality of life, and increasing the risk of radiation toxicities and complications, locoregional tumor recurrence, second cancers, and death.2-8
A systematic review of data from 71 studies found that smoking during adjuvant breast cancer radiotherapy is associated with skin reactions and worse cardiovascular, lung function, and breast reconstruction outcomes, and a higher risk of secondary carcinomas and death…4
Collectively, this complexly toxic chemical mixture renders cancer treatments — including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery — less effective and more toxic, while altering tumor biology in ways that can make malignancies more aggressive.2,5-8
Smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing oxygen perfusion; upregulates inflammatory and tumor signaling pathways associated with proliferation, angiogenesis, and tissue invasion; increases the risk of tumor cell radioresistance; impairs tissue healing processes; and worsens radiation toxicities such as mucositis, xerostomia, diarrhea, and weight loss.3,5,7…
Compared to patients who quit smoking at the time of a cancer diagnosis, smokers undergoing cancer treatment have poorer overall survival and more adverse events.9 …
“Several studies have demonstrated a clear correlation between smoking and the response to radiation or chemoradiation therapy in various cancers,” stated an oncologist in a 2022 review of how smoking cessation enhances therapeutic responses.9 “While the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, the poor response to radiotherapy has been prevalent across several cancer types, indicating that it is a genuine correlation.”
In a meta-analysis of a subset of relatively high-quality studies (18 randomized controlled trials and 3 observational studies), the Dutch authors of the 2024 meta-analysis found significant benefits to patients of smoking cessation interventions based on behavioral interventions or combined-modality (behavioral support plus pharmacotherapy) interventions, but not for pharmacologic interventions alone.12
Recent research shows that herbal medications are more effective and safer than placebo. In addition to helping the local economy, the usage of V. cinerea and St. John’s Wort, as the most commonly used herbal treatments, may make smoking cessation medication more accessible to those who are currently addicted.
It is easier to access as no prescription is required and it can be made locally in any nation without the need for imported ingredients, unlike current pharmaceuticals. If proven effective on all aforementioned limitations, herbal medicines can play an important role in tobacco cessation.
Hence, herbal therapy should be explored as an alternative to first-line smoking cessation drugs, particularly for individuals who cannot afford them. They can play a significant role in reducing the burden on the health system in the contemporary world.
In the past few years, the use of herbal drugs has increased substantially due to their easy availability and general perception among masses of their being safe and free from side effects…”
“Some natural remedies may help you quit smoking. These include acupuncture, herbal remedies, yoga, and lifestyle changes.
Nearly 12 out of every 100 adultsTrusted Source in the United States smoked cigarettes in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number has declined by nearly 9.5% since 2005.
Several different types of treatments may help you quit, such as using prescription medications and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products.
However, some people may prefer trying natural approaches to smoking cessation and cancer…”