All this shows just how powerful the addictive nature of cigarettes can be...

The Journal of Oncology Practice has recently published a shocking study which shows that less than half of smokers who are diagnosed with cancer actually quit the habit. The researchers conducted the study by sending questionnaires to 1,000 randomly chosen men and women who had been diagnosed as having cancer between the years 2003 and 2007.

Over half of the patients said that they had smoked at sometime but had quit and twenty percent said that they were still smoking at the time when they learned that they had cancer. Out of this group of 20%, 44% said that they immediately quit smoking after they had been diagnosed, which means that 56% carried on smoking despite all of the information presented to them about the dangers of smoking and the likelihood that it caused the cancer in the first place.

Some patients immediately go into denial and try to justify their continued smoking by the fact that having got cancer, continuing to smoke will not have an effect. This is a complete falsehood and it is well known that anyone who has a cigarette related cancer, (or any cancer) will significantly reduce the effectiveness of curative treatment.

Ukmedix News recently wrote about the actor Patrick Swayze who has been diagnosed with the very serious cancer of the pancreas. He is continuing to smoke while undergoing treatment despite being told that this could lower his chances of survival.

All this shows just how powerful the addictive nature of cigarettes can be and should serve as a warning to young people starting a smoking habit that they could get to the point where they are unable to quit even when faced with clear evidence that they could greatly increase the immediate chances of dying from their cancer.

The only time to quit smoking is right now! Delaying could cost you your life...