Even after cancer diagnosis, some people still smoke

1/24/2012

Employee wellness programs offer smoking cessation tips that can help workers give up that habit, which can be extremely difficult. Just how hard is it to stop using tobacco products? According to recent research published in the journal Cancer, a large number of people continue to smoke even after being diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer.

This shows how addictive cigarettes can be, considering that smoking can negatively impact patients' response to cancer treatments, their subsequent cancer risk and even, possibly, their chance of surviving. The scientists found that, at diagnosis, 39 percent of lung cancer patients and 14 percent of colorectal cancer patients were smokers. Five months later, 14 percent of lung and 9 percent of colorectal tumor patients were still using tobacco.

"We know enough now to implement effective cessation programs to identify and help cancer patients quit at the time of diagnosis and support them to prevent relapse. By doing so, we maximize patients' response to therapy, their quality of life, and their longevity," said researcher Carolyn Dressler, M.D.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that tobacco is responsible for more than five million deaths each year worldwide.

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