Smoking aggravates cancer symptoms

Cancer patients who smoke, suffer according to a study under much greater pain

30/12/2010

Anyone who smokes despite a cancer usually suffers from severe cancer-related pain. This was the result of a study by US researchers from the University of Texas among 200 patients.

Cancer patients are significantly more in pain, according to a recent study by Texas University, if they smoke despite existing cancer. In the survey study, the scientists questioned cancer patients about their cigarette consumption as well as about their subjective perception of pain. The approximately 200 participants had to state the severity of the tumor pain during the survey. The researchers used a scale of values. The subjects chose between the values ​​one to six. One meant accordingly „no pain“, and six „very strong pain“. In addition, the patients had to state what impairments they experience in everyday life from the symptoms and how clearly they make themselves felt.

Compared to the non-smokers, smokers on average suffered from severe pain and everyday impairments. In former smokers, there was a context between pain intensity and years of smoking cessation. The longer a subject was already a non-smoker, the less he suffered from cancer pain. On the other hand, if the subjects smoked, they also felt much more limited than the non-smokers. In conclusion, the authors of the study asked the treating physicians to motivate their patients to quit smoking from this point of view. Also, to relieve discomfort, cancer patients should stop smoking. All other study results are in the science magazine „Pain“ released. (Sb)

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