By Gavin Mackintosh-
Researchers from Leeds University have concluded that cigarettes can limit the body’s ability to fight skin cancer.
The study found that Patients with melanoma who have a history of smoking are 40% less likely to survive the disease than those who have never smoked.
The immune response of smokers were discovered to be less effective than those who had never touched a cigarette which reduces their chances of survival, they said.
The scientists were funded by Cancer Research UK, and found that altogether, smokers were 40 per cent less likely to survive skin cancer than people who have never smoked within a decade after their diagnosis.
Lead author Julia Newton-Bishop, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Leeds, said: “The immune system is like an orchestra, with multiple pieces. This research suggests that smoking might disrupt how it works together in tune, allowing the musicians to continue playing but possibly in a more disorganised way.
“The result is that smokers could still mount an immune response to try and destroy the melanoma, but it appears to have been less effective than in never-smokers, and smokers were less likely to survive their cancer.
“Based on these findings, stopping smoking should be strongly recommended for people diagnosed with melanoma.”
In a subset of 156 patients who had the most genetic indicators for immune cells, smokers were around four and a half times less likely to survive from the cancer than people who had never smoked.
” Using data from over 700 patients with melanoma, a dangerous type of skin cancer which can spread to other organs, researchers found that smokers and former smokers were 40% less likely to survive for 10 years after their diagnosis, when compared to people who had never smoked.
In a small group of 156 patients who had the most genetic indicators for immune cells, smokers were around four and a half times less likely to survive than non-smokers. Cigarettes appear to directly affect their body’s ability to deal with melanoma cancer cells, and the researchers are sending out a message to smokers to carefully consider their habit.
“The result is that smokers could still mount an immune response to try and destroy the melanoma, but it appears to have been less effective than in never-smokers, and smokers were less likely to survive their cancer,” Prof Newton-Bishop said.
“Based on these findings, stopping smoking should be strongly recommended for people diagnosed with melanoma.”
Interestingly, the researchers said that although the study found a link between smoking and reduced chances of surviving melanoma, it does mean reduced chances was caused by smoking smoking caused the drop. Rather, it mean, smoking in theory reducing the chances of beating cancer
Dr Julia Sharp, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Overall, these results show that smoking could limit the chances of melanoma patients’ survival so it’s especially important that they are given all the support possible to give up smoking for good.”
The findings of the research comes on the same day the Institute of Coding (IoC) injected a £5 million investment to six University led consortiums, including Leeds University to launch localised digital skills initiatives across the UK. Other universities to benefit from the huge funding includes Durham University and Birkbeck University. They will use fresh funding to develop courses targeting specific areas of need.