A study conducted by scientists at Harvard University in the United States showed that smoking worsens the quality of life of cancer survivors, especially those who continue to smoke after treatment.
The discovery, made in partnership with scientists from Oncoclinicas & Co and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, was published in the scientific journal. Frontiers in oncologyon January 4.
Researchers analyzed health information from 39,578 U.S. residents enrolled in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Database for the study.
Patients with cancer of the brain, bladder, bone, breast, colon, cervix, endometrium, esophagus, stomach, Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, liver, lung, melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, oral, and ovarian cancer were included. Cancers of the pharynx, pancreas, prostate, rectum, kidney, testicle, thyroid, and other skin cancers.
They found that current smokers have a significantly lower quality of life compared to non-smoking individuals. Ex-smokers also show a decrease in quality of life, although it is less pronounced.
Psycho-oncologist Christiane Bergerot, one of the study's authors, believes the finding is important for influencing public anti-smoking policies. It also helps improve cancer treatment approaches for smokers and ex-smokers.
“It is important for the general public and for clinical practice. “We see developments in the field of oncology, where treatments are increasingly focused on an individualized approach, and this factor also plays a crucial role in this context,” says Christian, who is the national specialty leader of the multidisciplinary team at Oncoclinica&Co. .
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