To smoke would reduce the effects of the most prescribed treatment for a long time breast cancer, according to the results of a study published in British Journal of Cancer. Patients who cannot do without cigarettes have a 3 times higher risk of recurrence than non-smokers.
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden analyzed the effects of smoking on the effectiveness of treatment against breast cancer with 1,016 patients diagnosed with this pathology between 2002 and 2012.
The women had to report their smoking history before their surgery. One in 5 patients said they were a “regular smoker” or a “social smoker”.
The results of this study showed that patients over 50, treated with aromatase inhibitors, (the most common treatment for breast cancer), reduced their chances of recovery.
Indeed, scientists have observed that this treatment which decreases the risk of recurrence in women with a breast cancer estrogen receptor positive, works much less well in female smokers. On the other hand, this link between smoking and recurrence has not been proven for women treated with tamoxifen, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Helping smokers quit to increase the chances of a cure from breast cancer
Despite the recommendations of health professionals, few patients quit smoking during their treatment. Indeed, the researchers found that out of 206 smokers, only 10% of them quit smoking within a year of their operation.
“Results which show to what extent patients who smoke, including those with cancer who are aware of their vulnerability, need more support and encouragement to stop smoking “, Conclude the authors of the study.
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Smoking increases the risk of suffering from two successive cancers
Breast cancer: passive smoking is as bad as smoking
ASCO 2016: 10-year hormone therapy for breast cancer reduces risk of recurrence
