The impact of smoking on lung cancer patients

Although smoking prevalence has shown a decreasing trend, the total number of smokers remains high due to population growth. Smoking causes several diseases, including lung cancer, COPD, coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Most of the adverse effects of smoking are reversible and smoking cessation treatments are a cost-effective and high-impact intervention for reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity from smoking-related illness. Smoking cessation may have a significant impact in patients diagnosed with lung cancer, as continued tobacco use can critically compromise treatment efficacy, increase the risk of recurrence and reduce overall survival. Moreover, the benefits of smoking cessation in lung cancer patients can also improve quality of life. The tremendous health and economic consequences of the smoking epidemic should make tobacco control a top priority for governments worldwide. This review aims to highlight the necessity of incorporating smoking cessation as a standard component of lung cancer treatment protocols to enhance patients' clinical outcomes and quality of life. At the same time, we identified a lack of current evidence regarding the optimal timing of smoking cessation among lung cancer patients, which provides the basis for further investigation.