Lung Cancer Patients Who Quit Smoking Even After Diagnosis Have Higher Chances of Survival Rate, Study Says

A news study revealed that individuals who stopped smoking after a cancer diagnosis got a 29 percent chance of improvement in terms of survival as opposed to those who continued their habits preceding their diagnosis.

Study on Smoking Cessation During and After Lung Cancer Diagnosis

BELGIUM-POLICE-CUSTOMS-TOBACCO — This photograph taken on October 28, 2021 shows counterfeit malboro cigarettes packs after customs seized a container filled with 9 to 10 million cigarettes arriving from Cambodia in Zeebrugge. - Two full containers of counterfeit cigarettes from Cambodia destined for the French market were seized at the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, Belgian customs announced on OCtober 22, 2021. The double seizure, carried out on October 21 and October 22, involves a total of some 20 million cigarettes, Customs estimated. JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images

The study was led by Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO) expert Saverio Caini, and was co-authored by colleagues from multiple institutes. In the research, the scientists identified the present-day statistics and evidence that shows how quitting smoking during and after a diagnosis impacts the survival rate of people who are struck with deadly lung cancer.

The new paper includes several analyses from a compilation of various studies regarding smoking activities and how patients thrive on quitting following a lung cancer diagnosis. The collective papers involved in the meta-analysis were comprised of 21 separate pieces of research, which all covered over 10,000 subjects. These papers were freshly released on the scientific community, being relayed not later than October 2021.

Caini and his colleagues discovered that smoking cessation succeeding a lung diagnosis significantly impacted the chances of a patient's survival in a positive manner (SRR 0.71, 95% CI 0.64-0.80). The results were consistent in the group that had non-small cell LC (SRR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66-0.90, n studies = 8), small cell LC (SRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.57-0.99, n studies = 4), or lung cancer that originated from either or unspecified history (SRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.96, n studies = 6).

Caini said in a report by Mirage News that their findings provided enough data for medicine and health experts to push forward the necessary education to their lung cancer patients regarding the advantages of smoking cessation even after their diagnosis. The author added that their research could also be a basis for other experts to give their respective patients the necessary screening and support to combat and end the smoking habit.

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Quitting Smoking is Beneficial Even After Lung Cancer Detection

Quitting smoking offers many people a chance of higher survival rate and lesser chances of being affected with lung cancer. However, there was little substantial evidence that supported the claim until the recent study. Caini and their colleagues were able to match numerous information based on other studies and concluded that smoking cessation indeed offers a promising potential over lung cancer survival.

Smoking, according to the study, can lead to tumor growth and severity. In addition, it could also decrease the efficacy and tolerance of a patient over the available treatments that include systematic therapies and radiation.

Risks of complications in a post-operation state and even manifestations of secondary cancers could also show up if lung cancer patients continue to smoke. The study was published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, titled "Quitting smoking at or around diagnosis improves the overall survival of lung cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis."