Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Many Still Smoking After Cancer Diagnosis - Stop now OR Why stop now?

Many Still Smoking After Cancer Diagnosis
Smoking is a famously unhealthy habit – one that’s just as famously difficult to kick. But approximately 46 million Americans still light up, and, according to a new study, many of them continue to do so despite knowing they have cancer. Researchers studied 2,456 people with lung cancer and 3,063 people with colorectal cancer. At the time of diagnosis, 38% of the lung cancer patients were smokers, and so were nearly 14% of the colorectal cancer patients. Five months post-diagnosis, 14% of the lung cancer patients continued to smoke, while the same held true for 9% of the colorectal cancer patients. While more lung cancer patients smoked overall, patients with colorectal cancer were less likely to kick the habit. According to the National Cancer Institute, all smokers can benefit from quitting, especially those who have been diagnosed with cancer. Smoking slows the body’s ability to bounce back from surgery and respond to treatments like chemotherapy, and it reduces your risk for complications like blood clots or pneumonia.