breast cancer to lung cancer?

I had cancer that they found in the lymph nodes, never found a tumor. Had 18 chemos, 6 weeks of radiation and am now on 1 year of herceptin. I have been a smoker for 40 years, can't seem to stop but even if i do stop, is it a pretty sure thing i'll develope lung cancer anyway?


This discussion is related to Rising Breast Cancer CA27.29 Markers.

[Dennis MD]

Hi.
Smoking is a risk factor for several cancers including lung, bladder, esophageal, kidney, laryngeal, oropharyngeal, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.  Just like in any risk factor, a patient who smokes may or may not develop any of these cancers.      
Smoking also places one to develop heart and lung diseases.  COPD is an example of a lung disease that is caused by smoking.
Hope this helps.                            

[bobbi58]

As i also had a femoral bypass in my legs, and still smoked, 4 months later, my arteries are again blocked. How destructive can a person be? I am trying to stop smoking cold turkey, it is just too selfish to kill myself. As i do have emphysema, i am hoping i will give myself a few good years.
Just don't take things for granted or say you'll change tomorrow. The change can happen in a negative way at the blink of an eye. Learn from me, i've wasted so much. I only hope there is still hope.     bobbi58

[katarina777]

I stopped smoking twice with those nicotine patches. I thought they worked great. Why do it cold turkey if there is so much help out there these days.

The first time it was really pretty hard and the second time it was sooo easy. not every time you try it's the same, you know?

You don't smoke to be self destructive.  like drug addicts, nobody abuses, (and I hate that word, too) because they want to be abusive or self destructive in any way.

I think it works much better NOT to think of all the ways you are hurting yourself, and why you SHOULD smoke, but rather make a list for all the reasons you do smoke, the POSITIVE reasons.

When I stopped, and both times it was for several years, I felt so glad that I did not have to smoke any longer. I truly felt like a non smoker. My clothes did not stink any longer, and I no longer had to limit my friendships to smoking people.

Do you know what I mean? In your case, and to not be so hard on yourself, there are also those filter tips you can buy, especially I have seen them all over the internet. They are called nic-out, or something, that may also help.

But don't be so punitive. What also really helped me smoke was thew first time, seeing all those babies in a neonatal intensive care unit. Maybe you should walk onto a hopital floor with really sick people, not as punishment, but just because it may work.

Anyway, whenever I try to do something, or stop doing something, it always backfires.

I have no clue if you can or cannot do it, but you may be surprised that you can.

Hope this helps.

KATRIN