At City of Hope, we understand that it’s difficult to quit smoking. But we also know that quitting smoking is a major step toward helping to boost overall health, which is an important factor in preventing cancer and helping to improve treatment outcomes in patients already diagnosed.
That’s why the doctors and supportive care providers at City of Hope encourage patients to quit smoking, working with them to find smoking cessation strategies designed for their needs.
Smoking is also a leading risk factor for many other different types of cancer, including:
How can smoking cause cancer in organs not part of the respiratory system? Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including toxins and known carcinogens, that not only travel through the mouth, windpipe and lungs, but also seep into the digestive system through saliva and into the bloodstream, where they may travel to the kidney, liver, bladder and other organs.
Besides cancer, smoking is also a leading cause of heart disease and may lead to strokes and heart attacks. In addition, cigarette smoking:
Tobacco use also reduces the benefits of cancer treatment by reducing its effectiveness, increasing treatment side effects and increasing the toxicity of therapy.
No matter how long you’ve smoked, it’s never too late to quit. The health benefits when you quit smoking are numerous and begin almost immediately after quitting.
According to the American Cancer Society, your heart rate and blood pressure drop within 20 minutes of your last cigarette. In the following days and weeks, coughing and shortness of breath decrease and carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal.
The health benefits that typically continue in the weeks and months that follow include:
Surveys show that most Americans who smoke want to quit. But research also shows that most people who try to quit fail several times before being able to kick the habit.
Smoking cessation strategies are usually not one-size-fits-all. Some patients may benefit from counseling, prescription drugs or nicotine replacement products.
That’s why City of Hope offers patients who wish to quit smoking several smoking cessation methods so they can develop a personalized quitting plan that works best for them. Strategies may include:
Your doctor may recommend U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved over-the-counter nicotine replacement products that are sold as gums, patches and lozenges.
Counseling to support patients’ emotional needs and mental health is available to City of Hope patients when appropriate. Counseling sessions may help patients address stress and anxiety issues that may compound their desire to smoke.
Doctors may prescribe smoking cessation drugs such as varenicline (Chantix®) or bupropion (Wellbutrin®). These drugs work by blocking or reducing nicotine’s effect on the brain.
Patients may be offered the option to meet with a respiratory therapist to discuss coping techniques and behavioral modifications.
Many online and community resources and support groups may be available to help you quit smoking. City of Hope patients are often referred to organizations that offer counseling, advice, products and therapies to help them quit.
National quit smoking sites include:
If you’re a smoker and have been diagnosed with cancer, the time has come to quit smoking. Why?
That’s why we offer supportive care services to help patients manage the symptoms of their cancer and the side effects of treatment and help patients deal with the stress and anxiety that occurs during a cancer journey. These services may include:
If you’re a smoker and have been diagnosed with cancer, call us or chat online with a member of our team to learn more about smoking cessation strategies offered at City of Hope.
