Nicotine Prevents Chemotherapy From Working For Lung Cancer Patients

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Main Category: Lung Cancer
Also Included In: Smoking / Quit Smoking;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 03 Apr 2006 - 14:00 PDT

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Researchers have found that nicotine stops chemotherapy drugs, such as gemcitabine, cisplatin and taxol, from destroying lung cancer cells. This finding was reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The scientists added that patients who are on chemotherapy for lung cancer who gave up smoking, but are taking smoking cessation products which contain nicotine, may be seriously undermining their treatment.

Batches of cells were taken from lung cancer tumours of patients. If nicotine was found, the effectiveness of the chemotherapy was seriously reduced, said the researchers.

There are two proteins which nicotine boosts - these proteins also protect cancer cells.

Doctors have always known that a lung cancer patient will have more effective chemotherapy treatment if he/she gives up smoking before treatment begins. This study has shown that not only does the patient have to give up smoking, he/she has to make sure there is no nicotine in his/her system.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today


Copyright: Medical News Today
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