Never-smokers fare far better than smokers after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer
Patients with head and neck cancer who have never smoked have much better survival rates after radiation therapy than patients with a history of smoking, new research from UC Davis Cancer Center has found.
The study by Allen M. Chen and colleagues in the UC Davis radiation oncology and otolaryngology departments is among the first of its kind to examine prognosis differences based on smoking history in patients with head and neck cancer who are treated with radiation therapy.
The study, published online in American Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that patients with a history of smoking were more likely to die from their disease and more likely to experience a recurrence after radiation therapy than those without a smoking history.
Read the whole article at ecancermedicalscience
Reference
- Chen, A. M., Chen, L. M. et al. (2010). Head and neck cancer among lifelong never-smokers and ever-smokers American Journal of Clinical Oncology DOI: 10.1097/COC.0b013e3181dea40b
Keywords: head and neck cancers, radiation therapy, survival rate, recurrence
17. 11. 2010 ecancermedicalscience
