Smoking and a Cancer Diagnosis

Posted by Lewisvilleflower on December 10th, 2014

Smoking has long been linked to the development of many types of cancer - a fact that has luckily compelled many smokers to quit the habit. For others, for whom quitting has been a challenge they have yet to conquer, smoking continues to increase their chances of developing a variety of health conditions, cancer included. Even more surprising is the fact that there are many people who have already been given a cancer diagnosis and still have been unable to quite smoking. In fact, according to a study conducted by the American Cancer Society, only 1 out of 3 smokers were able to quit smoking upon being diagnosed with cancer.

There are always hundreds of good reasons to quit smoking at any time - especially because it lowers your risk for ever developing cancer. But for those who have been diagnosed with cancer, quitting the habit is especially important for the following reasons:

* Smoking can significantly delay recovery. Wounds are slower to heal in smokers and overall physical healing is much slower in smokers. Cancer treatment can be challenging enough without the additional challenge of a delayed recovery.

* Smoking increases the risk of recurrence. Those who have already had a cancer diagnosis are already susceptible to a cancer recurrence. Continuing to smoke increases those risks significantly.

* Smoking decreases the effectiveness of cancer treatments. When you’re battling cancer you surely want to maximize your opportunities for success. You want everything you can get on your side. Smoking, however, does not allow treatment to be as effective as it could be otherwise.

The long and short of it is that every effort should be made to quit smoking as soon as possible, especially if you have already been diagnosed with cancer. There is life after smoking and there can be life after cancer as well as long as you are willing to do what you can to make sure the odds are in your favor.

About Lewisville Flower Mound Oncology

As a division of Choice Cancer Care, the Lewisville Flower Mound Oncology group has a patient-first philosophy. This is meant to help patients maintain a positive outlook while they undergo cutting-edge treatments to battle cancer. Our certified medical oncology and haematology physicians Dr. James Mackey and Dr. Kiran Kancharla along with our experienced and trained medical staff offer patients access to top-notch oncology care for breast, colon and other cancers in a comfortable environment with free and convenient parking. For more information you can visit http://lewisvilleflowermoundoncology.com