Reuters: Nicotine interferes with chemotherapy, study finds

[Up2Late]

(Oh, the irony...)

Nicotine interferes with chemotherapy, study finds

Sun Apr 2, 2006 05:52 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nicotine can prevent chemotherapy drugs such as taxol from killing lung cancer cells, researchers reported on Sunday in a finding that may help explain why lung cancer is so difficult to treat in smokers. They said their findings may also suggest that even people who quit smoking but use nicotine supplements, such as patches or gum, may not be helped as much as they should be by cancer therapy.

"Our findings are in agreement with clinical studies showing that patients who continue to smoke have worse survival profiles than those who quit before treatment," the researchers wrote in a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Srikumar Chellappan and colleagues at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, tested three standard lung cancer drugs: gemcitabine, cisplatin and taxol, on several different batches, called cell lines, of cells taken from lung cancer tumors.

Adding a small amount of nicotine, equivalent to what would be found in the blood of an average smoker, interfered with the drugs' action against the tumor cells, they reported in the study, which was also presented to a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

(more at link below)

<http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=11722775&src=rss/topNews>

[allisonthegreat]

1. well, it makes sense..especially

when nicotine causes most lung cancer! Lost mom and daad to lung cancer...interesting article..thanks for posting it!

[Warpy]

10. Nicotine doesn't cause the cancer

but a lot of the other compounds in tobacco smoke, like benzene and minerals that emit ionizing radiation, do.

Nicotine is the drug that causes the walls of your arteries to clamp down every time you light up so that if you've got a little cholesterol plaques in your coranary arteries, there goes your heart.

Please quit any way you can. We need everybody healthy and ready for the fight ahead.

[burrowowl]

12. Actually cigarettes and radon

as cause of lung cancer are about neck-and-neck.
If you live on granite shields, get your house checked.

[Raine]

2. Not surprising...

tobacco is a horrible thing. x(

[Trillo]

3. How much nicotine in marijuana?

If none, it might be an avenue to explore as a replacement for people that are hooked on tobacco.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

4. A Dear Friend Just Sent Me This Page

For, you see, I'm in the midst of Day Two of the Great Nicotine Jones as I try to quit cigarettes.

Nicotine is the single most addictive substance on earth, even moreso than heroin, at least according to the U.S. Surgeon General's office. Right now, I'd tend to concur.

And withdrawal just makes you feel not.very.nice.at.all I've been using a patch, but stupid me bought store-brand at Rite Aid, and the glue on the goddamned things is one grade below edible kindergarten paste. So, at $20/7, two have fallen off my arm.

When you buy the patches, they come with a little support group book, and a toll free number you can "call anytime;" Anytime, that is, as long as the time you're calling is between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday, Eastern Time. Because, after all, we all know that no one EVER needs a support group on the WEEKEND.

Is it just me or is this Sunday?

I think I'll just cackle hysterically for awhile. I'd put on another patch, but we have pets and I'm not sure where the damned things are falling off, and I'd hate to hurt one of the kitties or the puppies.

Kum-by-yah, my Lord, kum-by-yah . . .

[Up2Late]

5. I bet Caffeine is a close second.

I got down to 2 cups a day, but when it was determined that it wasn't the cause of my tinnitus, I when right back to "too much Caffeine."

[allisonthegreat]

7. I'll go for that..really need that coffee in the am! n/t

[GrpCaptMandrake]

8. I never had the first problem quitting caffeine

Nicotine is the only addiction that has ever truly had me by the short ones.

I have heard, however, that caffeine withdrawal can be a source of ungodly headaches. I just got to where I couldn't tolerate it. Had to quit. Even the least little bit made me feel like I was in the middle of a monster cardiac. Maybe that made it easier, somehow.

Did you ever sort out the tinitus?

[Up2Late]

9. Not yet, it's one of those things that are hard to diagnose.

My insurance is with K-P (HMO), so I have to get a referral from one of my Doctors to see an Ear, Nose, Throat Doctor, but they never call back.

It's not that bad though, I only hear it when it's very quite, like when the computer and/or Air filters are off, which doesn't happen very often.

[TheDebbieDee]

6. If....if.......if the patch doesn't work..........

Please consider using hypnosis to quit smoking the next time.

Good luck!

[Warpy]

11. You'e allowed to kick the wall and

generally be a pain in the ass. If you quit cold turkey, that nicotine will be completely out of your system 72 hours after that last patch fell off and all you'll be fighting is the habit part. If you can't quit cold turkey, use tape on those patches. Use duct tape if you're sweating so much nothing else will stick. Tape around the edges, though, not over the medicine part.

Any way you can quit is the right way.

Google "licorice root" and order some. They're exactly the right size and shape and can really help with those cravings when you're at the habit part. The flavor is vaguely sweet, not like licorice at all, and won't pile the pounds on.

It can affect blood pressure, so if you're chewing through 6 sticks a day, consider switching to gum, insead.

[enlightenment]

13. Try sunflower seeds, also --

in the shells. They keep your mouth busy and help with the oral fixation part of the whole mess.

I must've eaten thousands of the little buggers -- but I quit and it's been 8 years of freedom since.

Good luck and hang in there!!

[Up2Late]

14. kick n/t

:kick: