Lung cancer patients who quit smoking have benefits because tobacco promotes tumor growth
Lung cancer patients who quit smoking after diagnosis have a 29% improvement in survival compared to patients who continue to smoke, according to a study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
The study was conceived and conducted by an entirely Italian team of researchers from the Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network of Florence and from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. This is a meta-analysis of the data published in the scientific literature up to October 2021 on the smoking cessation after lung cancer diagnosis. Globally, 21 articles were analyzed providing data on more than 10,000 patients.
The data shows that quitting smoking improves overall survival significantly both for patients with non-small cell tumors, the most common, and for those with small cell tumors or with tumors with unspecified histology. There is a biological explanation for this data: tobacco smoke promotes tumor growth, progression and dissemination; decreases efficacy and tolerance to radiotherapy and systemic therapy, and increases the risk of postoperative complications and second primary cancers.
“Our study suggests that treating physicians should communicate to patients i benefits of quitting smoking even after cancer diagnosis to the lungs and provide them with the support needed to quit“, commented Saverio Caini of the Institute for Cancer Research, the Prevention and Clinical Network of Florence, first author of the study.
“Our results bring the need for lung cancer screening programs, the most lethal of all cancers at the same time the most avoidable– continues Sara Gandini, Head of the Molecular and Pharmacological Epidemiology Unit and Professor of Medical Statistics at the State University of Milan, co-author of the paper – We know that 9 out of 10 lung cancers are caused by cigarette smoke and we know that if intercepted for time can be cured with minimally invasive treatments.
We also have a screening tool, the low-dose CT scan, which has been shown in international studies of reduce mortality by 25% in heavy smokers. IEO has been a pioneer in researching this life-saving tool since the 1990s, but what is needed now is a public health program, coupled with structured smoking cessation initiatives. Our study should be a further push in this direction. “