Cigarette smoking and pain in cancer patients

Abstract

Smoking is associated with the occurrence of various cancers. However, some patients continue to smoke despite being diagnosed with cancer. Smoking has a negative impact on pain. Among cancer patients, pain affects quality of life (QOL) most significantly. Smokers have been reported to have a greater frequency and severity of cancer-related pain than non-smokers. Although experimental studies have shown that acute exposure to nicotine has an analgesic effect, chronic exposure to nicotine alters pain processing in smokers. In addition, nicotine withdrawal may induce hyperalgesia. Smoking can also interfere with wound healing, and interact with various drugs such as analgesics, which may exacerbate the pain condition. Moreover, pain increases the desire for smoking. Typically, the patient falls into a vicious cycle of pain and smoking. Therefore, in order to maintain the QOL of cancer patients, it is important to support smoking cessation in parallel with pain management, from the time of diagnosis.