May 17, 2011 - An epidemiologic study of 795 patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer found that smoking cessation can reduce the late side effects of treatment. Individuals who smoked during treatment had higher levels of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), mucosal edema, atrophy, fibrosis, dry mouth, and hoarseness or loss of voice compared with outcomes of ex-smokers and never-smokers. There was also a significant correlation between daily tobacco use and the number of moderate to severe side effects. These findings demonstrate the importance of supporting smoking cessation initiatives before and even during treatment in order to improve the quality of life for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

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