The Tobacco effect:
The most common substance when it comes to smoking is tobacco followed by other additives and carcinogens such as nictotine. Several studies have been carried out and published which exhibit that due to the harmful substances emitted by smoking, they are bound to cause an adverse effect especially on patients suffering from cancer.
Additionally, these carcinogens also interfere with the cancer therapies such as radiotherapy [1,2], immunotherapy [3,4], chemotherapy [5,6].
While smoking cessation is widely promoted across cancer centers for cancer prevention, it remains under-addressed by many oncologists in their routine care. Our research underscores the critical role of early smoking cessation as a key clinical intervention for patients undergoing cancer treatment.Paul Cinciripini, PhD and Principal Investigator, Chair of Behavioral Science, Executive Director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Program, MD Anderson
The study:
The study was carried out with 4,526 cancer patients and who smoked. The objective of the study was to see the survival rates of patients diagnosed with cancer who quit smoking between 6 months, 6 months to 5 years and greater than 5 years. The study was carried out between January 2006 to March 2022.
Treatment Methods:
MD Anderson Cancer Center Tobacco Research and Treatment Program carried out various treatment plans to help cancer patients quit their addiction. Their personalised therapies included:
Pharmacotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral counselling
Motivational interviewing
Conclusion:
The quality of life as well as the survival rates were increased and most benefit was observed amongst patients who quit smoking within 6 months of being diagnosed with cancer.
This study highlights the importance of cessation of smoking at the earliest not only among cancer patients but also those who are not affected by it. Also, this study is crucial to oncology clinicians to improve survival rates as well as the quality of life of cancer patients.
REFERENCES:
1. Browman, George P., E. Ann Mohide, Andrew Willan, Ian Hodson, Gene Wong, Laval Grimard, Robert G. MacKenzie, Samy El-Sayed, Edward Dunn, and Sylvia Farrell. 2002. “Association between Smoking during Radiotherapy and Prognosis in Head and Neck Cancer: A Follow‐up Study.” Head & Neck 24 (12): 1031–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/hed.10168.
2. Guo, Shan-Shan, Pei-Yu Huang, Qiu-Yan Chen, Huai Liu, Lin-Quan Tang, Lu Zhang, Li-Ting Liu, et al. 2014. “The Impact of Smoking on the Clinical Outcome of Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma after Chemoradiotherapy.” Radiation Oncology (London, England) 9 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13014-014-0246-y.
3. Qiu, Feifei, Chun-Ling Liang, Huazhen Liu, Yu-Qun Zeng, Shaozhen Hou, Song Huang, Xiaoping Lai, and Zhenhua Dai. 2017. “Impacts of Cigarette Smoking on Immune Responsiveness: Up and down or Upside Down?” Oncotarget 8 (1): 268–84. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.13613.
4. Wang, X., D. C. Christiani, J. K. Wiencke, M. Fischbein, X. Xu, T. J. Cheng, E. Mark, J. C. Wain, and K. T. Kelsey. 1995. “Mutations in the P53 Gene in Lung Cancer Are Associated with Cigarette Smoking and Asbestos Exposure.” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention: A Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 4 (5): 543–48.
5. Underwood, J. Michael, Julie S. Townsend, Eric Tai, Arica White, Shane P. Davis, and Temeika L. Fairley. 2012. “Persistent Cigarette Smoking and Other Tobacco Use after a Tobacco-Related Cancer Diagnosis.” Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice 6 (3): 333–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-012-0230-1.
6. Tsao, Anne S., Diane Liu, J. Jack Lee, Margaret Spitz, and Waun Ki Hong. 2006. “Smoking Affects Treatment Outcome in Patients with Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer.” Cancer 106 (11): 2428–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21884.
7. Cinciripini, P., George Kypriotakis, J. Blalock, M. Karam-Hage, Diane Beneventi, Jason D. Robinson, Jennifer A. Minnix, and Graham W. Warren. 2024. “Survival Outcomes of an Early Intervention Smoking Cessation Treatment after a Cancer Diagnosis.” JAMA Oncology 10: 1689–96. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.4890.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sanika Dongre/MSM)