Study: Breast Cancer Patients Live Longer If They Quit Smoking

Women who undergo lumpectomies and radiation therapy for breast cancer live longer if they stop smoking, according to Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers.

Dr. Khanh H. Nguyen reported at a meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology on a study that involved 1,039 non-smokers and 861 smokers treated for breast cancer between March 1970 and December 2002.

"This analysis shows that smoking, either past or present, was associated with increases in (the spread of breast cancer) and deaths from breast cancer," said Nguyen.

"Even after we adjusted for different prognostic factors, those who continued to smoke during treatment did not live as long as those who had stopped," Nguyen added.

"Our study suggests that smoking cessation remains an integral component in the comprehensive management of breast cancer," Nguyen concluded.

Other Sources: American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology