People who have cancer are more likely to suffer from this type of disease and have a higher risk of death! Change a lifestyle habit that allows you to live longer and healthier
▎WuXi AppTec content team editor
With the continuous development of medical technology, the improvement of cancer treatment options, and early screening, the mortality rate of many kinds of cancer has decreased significantly, the life expectancy of patients has been extended, and the number of cancer survivors (refers to people who have or have had cancer alive) has continued to increase. According to the World Health Organization, there were more than 50.5 million cancer survivors worldwide in 2020.
How to live longer and healthier is a concern for cancer survivors and their families. According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, quitting smoking helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in cancer survivors.
Cancer and cardiovascular disease not only share common risk factors, but also influence each other, collectively causing damage to health and longevity. Studies have found that in the first year after developing cancer, cardiovascular disease is more likely; Many cancer patients die not from cancer, but from cardiovascular disease.
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Researchers from Yonsei University and other institutions in South Korea analyzed data from 309095 participants in South Korea. The participants, all cancer survivors, none of whom had cardiovascular disease before joining the study, had an average age of 59 years and were 52 percent women.
Through the questionnaire, the researchers counted the participants' height, weight, residence and other basic information; Lifestyle information such as smoking status, physical activity, diet, and alcohol consumption; Clinical information such as cancer type, stage, and treatment method; Information on the history and treatment history of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes; Health indicators such as blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar were measured.
According to the changes in smoking status before and after the participants' cancer diagnosis, the researchers divided them into four groups: never smoked, quit smoking, started smoking or relapse, and continued smoking.
In addition, during a follow-up period of more than 5 years, the researchers also collected information on the prevalence of different types of cardiovascular disease in the participants, such as heart disease, stroke and myocardial infarction, as well as the cause of death.
The statistical results showed that 80.9% of all participants never smoked, 10.1% quit, 1.5% started smoking or relapsed, and 7.5% continued to smoke after being diagnosed with cancer. Urinary tract cancer survivors had the highest rates of initiation or re-smoking and continued smoking, while breast cancer survivors had the lowest.
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After adjusting for other factors, the researchers found that participants in the persistent smoking group had an almost double-fold risk of heart disease, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease compared with the never-smoked group.
Participants in the continuous smoking group, the initiation or relapse group, and the smoking cessation group had an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease, by 86%, 51%, and 20%, respectively, compared with the never-smoking group. Moreover, this risk was similar in different types of cardiovascular disease and in participants of different genders.
People who quit smoking had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events compared with continuing to smoke. Of the participants who smoked before being diagnosed with cancer, 57 percent quit after diagnosis. Those who quit smoking had a 36% lower risk of cardiovascular events than those who continued to smoke.
2% of people who had never smoked or had quit before being diagnosed with cancer started smoking or resumed smoking after diagnosis. People who started smoking or relapsing had a 51% increased risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who continued to not smoke.
In addition, about 1 in 5 participants who smoked before a diagnosis of cancer experienced at least a 50 percent reduction in daily smoking after being diagnosed with cancer. But people who smoked less were not at a reduced risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who smoked consistently, meaning that cancer survivors who wanted to reduce their risk of cardiovascular events were better off quitting smoking.
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It is important to note that this study was observational and only showed an association between smoking status and the risk of cardiovascular events in cancer survivors, and did not indicate a causal relationship. There are also some limitations in the study, such as smoking status is self-reported by patients, which may be biased and will also affect the results of the study.
The study concluded that the benefits of smoking cessation on the health and longevity of cancer survivors are underestimated. Many cancer survivors are unaware of the dangers of continuing to smoke and believe that once the cancer is diagnosed, there is no benefit to quitting smoking.
In practice, however, numerous studies have shown that continued smoking in cancer survivors is associated with increased treatment toxicity, reduced tolerability, increased risk of treatment failure, increased risk of cancer recurrence, increased risk of second primary cancer, reduced quality of life, and shorter survival. For patients undergoing surgery, smoking also significantly increases the risk of complications such as delayed wound healing or cracking, and surgical site infection.
The findings of this study add to the evidence that smoking cessation is good for cancer survivors' health and longevity, and strong measures should be taken to encourage cancer survivors who smoke to quit as early as possible.
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Study author Dr Hyeok-Hee Lee of Yonsei University said: "Diagnosing cancer is an extremely stressful life event that often leads to significant changes in one's lifestyle. Cancer survivors are more likely to have unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking, due to factors such as mental distress, which increases their risk of cardiovascular events. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of non-cancer-related death among cancer survivors. ”
"In addition, some cancer survivors may believe that smoking less is also good for health and longevity." But our findings suggest that reducing smoking should not be the ultimate goal and that people who smoke should quit completely to minimise the risk of cardiovascular events. Dr. Lee added.
The 3rd edition of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors recommends that cancer survivors who want to live longer, healthier lives should, in addition to quitting smoking, should:
Eat a healthy diet with more nutritious foods and a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; limit or reduce refined grains; Eat less red and processed meat; Avoid sugary drinks; Try not to eat ultra-processed foods.
Sit less and move more, exercise regularly under the guidance of a doctor or professional, and do 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, yoga, leisurely cycling, etc.; or 75-150 minutes of high-intensity exercise, such as running, swimming, tennis, etc.; At the same time, at least 2 days a week for strength training or resistance exercises such as weight lifting, exercise belts, push-ups, squats, etc.
To maintain a healthy weight, maintain a healthy weight through diet and physical activity, avoid being overweight or obese, and maintain or gain muscle mass.
Avoid alcohol consumption, and it is best not to drink alcohol during cancer treatment, especially when undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the head and neck.
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Resources
[1] Hyeon Chang Kim,et al.,(2023). Smoking Habit Change After Cancer Diagnosis: Effect on Cardiovascular Risk. European Heart Journal,DOI:10.1093/eurheartj/ehad199.
[2] Cheryl L. Rock, et al.,(2022). American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity guideline for cancer survivors. CA：A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21719.
[3] Jacek Jassem,(2019). Tobacco smoking after diagnosis of cancer: clinical aspects. Translational Lung Cancer Research, DOI: 10.21037/tlcr.2019.04.01.
[4] Cancer survivors who quit smoking found to have 36% lower cardiovascular risk than those who continue. Retrieved Jun 6,2023,from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-cancer-survivors-cardiovascular.html