Is quitting smoking during advanced lung cancer beneficial?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 45-year-old father has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He has been a smoker for many years, and even now, he sometimes feels that smoking helps him cope emotionally with the stress of the diagnosis.

As a family, we continue encouraging him to quit, but we have been wondering whether stopping smoking at this stage can still meaningfully improve his quality of life and help him spend a more comfortable time with family.

Does quitting smoking during advanced lung cancer still provide real benefits, or is the impact minimal once the disease has already progressed?

We are trying to guide and support him in the best possible way.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your worries; however, it is very normal for both patients and family members to have such concerns when there is a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. Some patients think that smoking alleviates the feeling of stress and anxiety, particularly during hard times.

But it is necessary to realize that even when the patient gets a diagnosis of advanced cancer, he/she can receive some positive effects of quitting smoking.

The cessation of smoking may lead to improvements in breathing, cough, energy, appetite, and a reduction in the risk of getting any infections or further harm to the lungs.

Also, quitting smoking may positively affect the reaction of the body to chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy.

Advanced stage of lung cancer does not necessarily mean approaching death. With modern treatment approaches, many patients are living a lot longer than expected, and for some, the disease can be managed for several years, with a manageable level of symptoms and a decent quality of life depending on cancer and existing treatment options.

Therefore, at this point quitting smoking cannot be considered useless. It might not cure the cancer, but it will surely make patients more comfortable, able to function better, easier to treat, and spend time with their families.

Emotional support is also very important, and there are support groups, different forms of counseling, ways to manage stress, and palliative care available.

In some cases, it might be necessary to consult with a psychiatrist or a smoking cessation counselor.

What is the most important is that your father should not be blamed or put under pressure. Encouragement from family members is more effective than constant criticism.

Emotional support combined with encouragement is the right way to go.

I hope this information helps.

Thank you.