Smokers who continue their habit after a cancer diagnosis may assume that quitting wouldn’t make much of a difference. However, a recent study published in JAMA Oncology on October 31 reveals that quitting smoking following a cancer diagnosis can greatly improve survival rates. The study, led by Paul Cinciripini, chair of behavioural science and executive director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, found that smokers who quit shortly after their diagnosis were 22 per cent to 26 per cent less likely to die compared to those who continued smoking.
“Our research underscores the critical role of early smoking cessation as a key clinical intervention for patients undergoing cancer treatment,” Cinciripini explained in an MD Anderson news release. Researchers tracked more than 4,500 cancer patients enrolled in MD Anderson’s quit-smoking program, where nearly all support was provided via telemedicine. Patients who quit within six months of their cancer diagnosis and stayed tobacco-free for at least three months saw the best results.
These patients had an average survival of four years, double that of the patients who continued smoking. The study’s findings show the potential for quitting smoking to add both quality and quantity to the lives of cancer patients. The study also brings attention to a gap in routine cancer care.
Despite widespread knowledge of smoking’s risks, smoking cessation is often underemph.
