Healthy Living

Cancer Patients Who Won't Quit Smoking Need a Reality Check

by Maressa Brown January 24, 2012 at 1:02 PM

woman smoking I cannot, for the life of me, think of anything more dense than refusing to take care of your health. It's not that I don't believe it's an individual's prerogative if they want to say, "Screw it, I'm gonna die some day anyway, so I might as well enjoy my favorite vice here and now." A person's certainly free to free to feel that way, but it doesn't mean they don't need a wake-up call.

Take these people with lung cancer who were recently studied by the American Cancer Society. Researchers looked at smoking rates in a little over 5K lung and colorectal cancer patients. At the time of their diagnosis, 39 percent of those with lung cancer and 14 percent of those with colon cancer smoked. Five months later, 14 percent of lung cancer patients and 9 percent of colon cancer patients were still smoking. Sure, it's fewer, but still ... why the heck would anyone battling cancer continue to light up, unless they had a death wish? It's INSANITY!

Listen, my own mother drives me crazy when it comes to this tough topic. A life-long smoker who is now almost 58 years old, she just LOVES to joke about how one day she's going to be diagnosed with lung cancer and have to speak -- and yes, keep on smoking!! -- through a machine hooked up to a hole in her throat. Ha ha ha, soooo funny.

Except it isn't. No, not at all. Any smoker -- especially those who have already been diagnosed with cancer -- who won't even attempt to quit is acting selfish. They might think it's their choice or that they have no choice but to kill themselves, and yeah, that's their right as a human being in control of their own destiny. Fine. But they should also stop and think for a second about who else they're hurting in the process. Spouses, children, friends, grandchildren they could have more time with if only they made an effort to ash out their nasty habit.

Maybe this study is also a sign people who refuse to quit despite a cancer diagnosis need more support from their loved ones and doctors, but I'm sure they could find it if they asked. With hope, this study clues more of us in to their cry for help, because I couldn't possibly imagine that anyone actually thinks smoking their way to the grave is the best way to go.

Why do you think some people who are diagnosed with cancer refuse to quit smoking?

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Filed Under: cancer, smoking

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

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Comments 69

OtherMonkey

January 24, 2012 at 1:24 PM

My Mother was a life long smoker and in October 2009 diagnosed with lung cancer. When she was in the hospital she was immediately put on the patch - no discussion. However, once she was well enough to go back home in between treatments, she was smoking again. By March 2010 she was too weak to walk on her own, let alone be smoking so she had no choice but stop. By April 2010, 1 week after her 52nd birthday she was gone. I often wonder if she had quit in those months would we have had more time with her and if yes, would it have been quality time or just prolonging her suffering. As guilty as I feel about it, I can't help but be angry that she couldn't find it within herself to quit and give herself a fighting chance.

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KaylaMillar

January 24, 2012 at 1:26 PM

Their addictied!

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DGmomma

January 24, 2012 at 1:32 PM

my uncle is dying of lung, bone, and pancreatic cancer. his father (my gfather) died in 93 of lung cancer. though the death of his father should have convinced him to quit, it didn't. he continues to smoke. the family as a whole has the view point of he's going to die any time now, let him smoke if it makes him happy. I don't understand why this site always bashes smoking yet goes out of their way to promote drinking for relaxation in mothers.

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Venae

January 24, 2012 at 1:37 PM

If they are on medicaid/medicare or any other form of government provided health care, it should be stopped so they can pay their own bills. Why waste our money on them when they sabotage the care we are paying for?

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Melissa042807

January 24, 2012 at 1:37 PM

I have a cousin who survived colon cancer. Her cancer was so advanced when it was discovered - but had not yet spread beyond her colon thank god - that they skipped chemo and radiation and went straight to cutting her colon out. Like, within days. The recovery was horrible and brutal, and because of the genetic condition she has that caused the colon tumors in the first place she is at an extremely heightened risk of developing more cancer. She has given up many foods and drinks because she no longer has a colon...but...she still smokes. I don't understand it. I just don't.

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femaleMIKE

January 24, 2012 at 1:37 PM

addictions have a strong hold on people. if it were that easy to quit, the tabacco industry would have gone out of business a long time ago.

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kjbugsmom1517

January 24, 2012 at 1:45 PM

I think if u smoke and develope cancer... u should be denied treatment until you do quit. My mil had small cell lung cancer. She found out she had it a few months after she quit smoking. She never lit up again, her cancer went into remission and about 18 months later was back. She lost her battle march of last year. I don't smoke and I hope every single day that my kids don't when they r older. My mom is a life long smoker and she doesn't ever intend to quit. I do not get it....makes me furious to think of someone seeking treatmentt and then speeding up the process of dying by having a smoke on the way out of a chemo treatment.

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Nonmember comment from Melissa

January 24, 2012 at 1:53 PM

MY OH MY OH MY. My mother began smoking at 19. She smoked all my life. I didn't like it, my sister didn't like it, but she did it anyway. She tried to quit several times, but it never stuck. In late 2005, after being repeatedly told by doctors that she "just had bronchitis," she was diagnosed with throat and tongue cancer. She had surgery, including the removal of a portion of her tongue. She also had radiation. She could no longer eat and was on a liquid diet. She was put into a hospice center where my sister worked because we knew that she was going to die. She held on until I was able to come visit (she was living in Arizona and I lived in Alaska) with my husband and kids. She was able to say goodbye to her grandkids and talk to my belly (I was 6 months pregnant.) During this ENTIRE time, she continued to smoke. Make no mistake, I hated it. I did. But addiction is an incredibly powerful thing, and it brought her comfort in her last difficult months. She died on December 13, 2006 at the age of 57.

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Nonmember comment from Marcella

January 24, 2012 at 1:59 PM

This reminds of a story an exe's Mom who was a hospice nurse told me of walking in on a woman in the last stages of colon cancer and she was smoking. The first thing she did was tell the lady she could quit smoking. The lady looked at her and said (honestly) "What do you think I'm doing? Shoving them up my ass?" Anyway, as a recent non smoker - I agree, I can't understand why they don't quit, especially lung cancer. But then again, God, I'd love a smoke right now......

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Nonmember comment from Liz

January 24, 2012 at 2:15 PM

I think you're underestimating the power of an addiction. First, this study only highlights the number of people still smoking, NOT the number who attempted to quit. Second, this study is also dependent on the honesty of its subjects. I wouldn't be surprised if a decent number of people who claimed to have quit smoking were actually still smoking, at least a small amount. That's what addicts do, they lie to cover up the extent of their problem. Third, people with addictions tend to depend on their vices more when faced with stressful situations, and this includes smokers, alcoholics, and drug addicts. So these people are encountering stressful situations and are expected to quit, when they couldn't even quit before the stress. Addictions to not follow rational logic. What makes sense to us is not really relevant to someone with an addiction. I'm not justifying not doing everything in your power to quit, but you can't be so dismissive of the power an addiction can have on people. Even Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, couldn't quit smoking despite his struggles with cancer.

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