Sudden smoking cessation 'sign of lung cancer'
Tuesday 1st March 2011
The ability of a long-term smoker to suddenly quit with ease could be a symptom of lung cancer, research has found.
A study, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, found that most patients spontaneously stopped smoking shortly before they were diagnosed with lung cancer, but before any symptoms had appeared.
Dr Barbara Campling, professor in the Department of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, said it was previously thought that the reason so many smokers quit shortly before diagnosis was due to the symptoms of cancer.
"However, we found that the majority of lung cancer patients who stopped smoking before diagnosis quit before the onset of symptoms. Furthermore, they often quit with no difficulty, despite multiple previous unsuccessful quit attempts," she explained.
Dr Campling added that this suggested that the spontaneous cessation of smoking could be an early symptom of lung cancer.
Meanwhile, scientists at Michigan State University are developing laser microscopes that will enable doctors to carry out biopsies painlessly and efficiently.
Written by Angela Newbury
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