Its never too late to quit smoking, says a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Its even beneficial if you have already been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The research showed that those who quit smoking after being diagnosed became less severely impaired by the disease than those that continued to smoke. The ability for the person to care for themselves and handle daily routines was increased when they gave up the habit.
Even though the study did not show an increased survival benefit for those that quit, they noted that continued smoking may deteriorate a lung cancer patient's quality of life by starving their tissues of oxygen, which worsens outcomes from chemotherapy and radiation.
Don't ever think its pointless to quit!
1. Quitting may not help the smoker but it will prevent the spread of cancer through second hand smoke. My mother quit 25 years before being diagnosed. By doing extensive research during her 9 month battle, I learned that her small cell lung cancer has a genetic component that puts her children at higher risk even though we don't smoke. Join our fight for more research and awareness - go to cafepress.com/lung_cancer.
Posted at 7:53AM on Jan 1st 2007 by Joyce Giancola