I have a good friend who I worked with years ago. She went through the gamut of cancer treatments, having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer that spread to her breast. I hadn't seen her in quite a while and arrange to meet with her for lunch. As I was parking my car, I caught a glimpse of her walking into the restaurant, smoking a cigarette. My heart sank. What are the stats on someone who beat cancer like that getting it again because of smoking?
2007-08-12 04:43:52 · 6 answers · asked by gentle understanding 4 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
I don't know the stats, but smoking is a risk factor for several types of cancer. With her health history it is a mistake to add to the chances of a recurrance.
2007-08-12 04:56:58 · answer #1 · answered by wildwoman 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
New Evidence Suggests a Link Between Smoking and Ovarian Cancer
It appears that the risk of ovarian cancer may well be greater for women who smoke or have smoked in the past than for those who have never smoked, according to a study that followed more than 100,000 Scandinavian women over the course of a decade.
The participants were between the ages of 30 and 50 when they enrolled in the cohort study that asked them to fill out a questionnaire. Twenty-eight percent of the women enrolled in the study were smokers at the time and answered questions regarding their smoking habit, such as when they started smoking, along with number of years and amount smoked.
Researchers then followed up over the next 10 years by checking national cancer registries to identify those who had developed ovarian cancer.
The results indicated that by the end of 2003:
312 women had either invasive or borderline ovarian cancer
Current smokers had a 60 percent greater risk of ovarian cancer than those who had never smoked when they enrolled in the study
Former smokers were at a 50 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer than those who never smoked
Women who smoked for 25 years or more and were still smoking had twice the risk of developing ovarian cancer as those who never smoked
There are over 4000 chemical compounds present in cigarette smoke, including over 40 that are known to be carcinogenic and 200 that are poisonous. It's not surprising that people face so many health hazards due to smoking cigarettes, with scientists discovering more every day.
If you're still smoking, please stop. Your precious life hangs in the balance. Don't risk your health any longer on an addiction that offers nothing but disease and death.
Quit smoking now!
2007-08-12 07:56:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We all know that medical experts say there is a clear link between smoking and a variety of types of cancer.
As such, ANYONE who smokes is risking smoking related cancers.
As she has undergone cancer treatment, she would be aware of the concequences.
Stress can also be a triggering factor for cancer growth, and on balance, she may feel that the stress of giving up smoking is counterproductive to her current recovery.
You may find that as her cancer has already spread from one site to another, she has been given a poor prognosis, and smoking is no longer an issue.
Give her your support, but in a non-judgemental way.
2007-08-12 12:09:51 · answer #3 · answered by Tarkarri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What ever it is smoking is generally injusrious to anybody;s health. Advice your friend in a proper way that she does not try again. But in reality it is not possible to stop smoking immediately. You can ask het to read the website below that explains every thing about cancer. Good luck.
2007-08-12 05:14:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
smoking doesnt cause ovarian cancer or will trigger it again, if the tumor(s) were malignent then she could very well get cancer again, if she is an older woman and is overweight this greatly increases the chances of contracting it again..family history plays a big role as well
2007-08-12 05:05:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
first let me ask is she cancer free now? if shes not maybe you don't know where is mind is at. had a friend with lung cancer and she had chem and it was to far gone unable to go into remissions. so she told me, she was going to enjoy herself until her time was over. no one is promised tomorrow you could get run over or blown out of this world and i also know that some say why push things but if that's what she needs now. be her friend and be there for her. its not our place to judge other people and why they do what they do.
2007-08-12 05:55:32 · answer #6 · answered by fiberglassliper 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋