Smoking and cancer treatment
The habit matters more than you think
IF YOU OR SOMEONE you know has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you’ve probably heard about cancer “staging”—how doctors determine how advanced the cancer is and what treatments work best. But what if your smoking status is just as important as your cancer’s stage when it comes to survival?
The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s recent international study of nearly 49,000 lung cancer patients found something that could change how we approach cancer treatment: Smoking status has such a profound impact on outcomes that it should be considered alongside traditional staging when making treatment decisions.
What the research shows
This research is the first to show that smoking status can be as powerful a predictor of survival as the cancer’s stage itself. Patients who currently smoked had a 39% lower survival rate compared with those who never smoked, while patients who formerly smoked had a 32% lower rate. Among patients with early-stage disease, smoking history had a greater impact on survival than whether cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes.
These findings hit close to home for Kentucky, which has among the highest smoking and lung cancer rates in the nation—and shows why addressing tobacco use is so critical for improving cancer outcomes in our communities.
Tobacco smoke after a cancer diagnosis decreases the effectiveness of cancer treatment and causes poor health outcomes. Last year, we led another study that showed that quitting smoking within six months after a diagnosis can improve median survival by about four years.
It’s never too late to quit, and this is the best thing patients can do to help improve their cancer treatment outcomes. Quitting also reduces risk and severity of other health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, lung disease and numerous other health problems.
Taken together, these studies represent the cutting edge of how Kentucky is helping lead changes internationally, and how we are bringing the best treatment back to our patients and families across the commonwealth.
If you’re facing a cancer diagnosis and you smoke, talk to your health care team about quitting. The Kentucky Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) also provides free counseling and support.
Cancer is frightening, and a lung cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. But treatments continue improving, and survival rates are getting better. Quitting smoking is one of the most powerful steps you can take to improve your treatment outcomes.
GRAHAM WARREN, M.D., PH.D., F.A.S.C.O., is a radiation oncologist at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.
