Non-smokers are more likely to beat cancer
SMOKERS in Ireland diagnosed with cancer are more likely to die from the disease than non-smokers, regardless of their respective incomes, a health conference in Dublin was told yesterday.
Researchers at the National Cancer Registry traced invasive cancers diagnosed here between 1999 and 2003 and followed them up to December 2005.
They hoped to find out whether a smoker is at a disadvantage, in terms of prognosis, when their cancer is diagnosed are they .
The types of disease involved 10 common cancers -- breast, bowel, lung, prostate, stomach, head and neck, bladder and ovarian cancer -- aswell as malignant melanoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the All-Ireland Cancer Conference was told. It showed smoking was significantly associated with poorer survival at one year in people with breast, bowel, lung prostate, head and neck cancer and melanoma.
The researchers suggested possible explanations include the effect of smoking on the immune system, the metabolism of chemotherapy drugs, genetic damage and the patient's inflammatory response.
A separate study presented to the three-day conference attended by Irish and international delegates suggested that giving the HPV vaccine to young girls to help prevent them developing cancer in adulthood would be cost effective for the Irish taxpayer.
One of the authors of the study is Dr Michael Barry from the Centre of Pharmacoeconomics in St James's Hospital in Dublin, who is due to deliver a report to Health Minister Mary Harney this week on how to knock around €60m from the drugs bill for medical card holders. The study also backed the use of the vaccine, which the Government cannot introduce this year due to lack of funds, as part of a catch up for girls aged 16 and 18 years of age.
Vaccine
In a related study, the National Cancer Registry looked at how informed and supportive GPs are about the vaccine. It showed there were gaps in their knowledge about the effectiveness of the vaccine, which groups should be targeted, and the HPV infection itself. One-third thought it would give lifelong protection, although this is not so. Other GPs said they would be willing to vaccinate sexually active than sexually inactive girls under the age of 16 years.
Findings presented to the conference also showed women want more information about the HPV infection which can cause cervical cancer and vaccination.
- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
