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Does quitting smoking cause cancer? By Ixedoc and Baab Mallya | Sulekha Creative
The sub specialty of Neurosurgery that interested me was Neurosurgical Oncology, study of brain and spinal tumors. What better place to do that than at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. I was distressed by the sheer number of cancer cases of all types.
Soon after I started my Fellowship as I was examining a patient, he said “doc I used to smoke but gave it up six months ago, now they tell me I have lung cancer”. I never paid much attention to that remark until fourth patient remarked similarly that she had quit smoking few months back and now she has lung cancer.
It was at Sloan-Kettering for the first time the association between smoking and lung cancer was identified. Being a smoker myself, I was surprised at the unusual remarks these patients were making and decided pay more attention to it.
From that day every single patient I saw with a brain tumor that had metastasized from lung, I kept a record as to their smoking pattern. Also made a notation as to if they had quit smoking, how long ago.
I even went to Thoracic Surgery ward and started screening patient charts, what I was noticing was a sinister pattern. Majority of patients with lung cancer were smokers who after several years of smoking had quit smoking.
What is the link here? After one stops smoking, the healing process that starts, doesn’t know when to stop?
Are lung cancers triggered by stopping smoking?
The clinically high correlation between smoking and carcinoma of the lungs has been the focal point in societal campaigns against the habit and the tobacco lobby. In an overview of personal history in a number of lung cancer patients locally, we am struck by the more than casual relationship between the appearance of lung cancer – and an abrupt and recent cessation of the smoking habit in many, if not most cases.
The association is more than just casual – development of cancer within a few months of eschewing cigarette smoking.
Over a period of 4 years, a total of 312 cases were treated for carcinoma of pulmonary origin: of this number, 182 patients had quit smoking within five to fifteen months prior to their being diagnosed with lung cancer. Of the 182 patients 142 were male and 40 were females, with ages ranged between 47 to 74.
Each one of had been addicted to the habit for no less than twenty-five years, smoking in excess of twenty sticks a day. The striking direct statistical correlation between cessation of smoking to the development of lung malignancies, more than 60% plus, is too glaring to be dismissed as coincidental.
It is our premise that a surge and spurt in re-activation of bodily healing and repair mechanisms of chronic smoke-damaged respiratory epithelia is induced and spurred by an abrupt discontinuation of habit, goes awry, triggering uncontrolled cell division and tumor genesis. In normal tissue healing, anabolic and catabolic processes achieve equilibrium approximately 6-8 weeks after the original insult. When an imbalance occurs between these phases occur in the healing process, disruptions in repair limitations occur leading to tumor genesis – this sequence is best exemplified in the formation of keloids from scars (1, 2)
Nicotine stimulates corticotrophin – releasing factor (CRF) besides increasing the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), both of which interfere with immune systems (3) Abrupt withdrawal of the addictive drug could trigger derangement of the ‘smoking – steroid’ conferred immunity, priming the healing lung epithelia to dangerous levels uncontrolled cell division
Should chronic addicts be weaned or tapered off tobacco instead of being advised to giving up smoking overnight? Should the immune and re-vitalizing mechanisms be given time lapse to adjust to the withdrawal? Larger studies and mass
reviews of case histories in lung cancer patients could throw more light on this, rather unusual clinical observation. No doubt, tobacco kills too many. Or does it?
We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript entitled "Are lung cancers triggered by giving up smoking?" (MH-Ref. No. YMEHY-D-06-00801R2) has been accepted for publication in Medical Hypotheses.
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With kind regards
Bruce G Charlton MD
Editor in Chief
Medical Hypotheses
