Smoking worsens prostate cancer therapy side effects

WASHINGTON (HealthDay News) --
November 8th

Prostate cancer patients who smoke suffer worse acute gastrointestinal
side effects from radiation treatment than nonsmokers, U.S. researchers
report.

The study, by researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia,
included nearly 1,200 prostate cancer patients treated at that center
between 1991 and 2001.

The patients were classified as current smokers, ex-smokers, or
nonsmokers. Patients treated with androgen-deprivation therapy prior to
or during radiation treatment were excluded from the study.

"Our patients who smoked during treatment reported having more acute
gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, such as diarrhea," study lead author
Dr. Niraj Pahlajani, a resident in the radiation oncology department,
said in a prepared statement.

"Fortunately, smoking doesn't appear to impact long-term GI side effects
or genitourinary side effects. These results underscore the importance
of smoking cessation prior to radiation therapy," Pahlajani said.

The study was presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American
Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, in Philadelphia.

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
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