Smoking??????

Just curious how many people with pc are or once were smokers?  My mom 58 years old was diagnosed with stage 4 pc in april and passed in july.  She quit smoking 8 years ago, exercised regularly, and ate healthy everyday. She thought she was in perfect health until she found out.  This disease took total control of her life in a matter of 3 months.  Just wondering if anyone else has a similar story???  Was it smoking??????? 

I quit smoking 24 years ago.   I also drank and did other things, don't know if all this contributed to my PC.  I had a whipple 12-06.  They do say smoking doesn't help.  It can cause a lot of cancers.  Dawnella

 

On 8/25/2007 Lisa930 wrote:

Just curious how many people with pc are or once were smokers?  My mom 58 years old was diagnosed with stage 4 pc in april and passed in july.  She quit smoking 8 years ago, exercised regularly, and ate healthy everyday. She thought she was in perfect health until she found out.  This disease took total control of her life in a matter of 3 months.  Just wondering if anyone else has a similar story???  Was it smoking??????? 

 

My mom has smoked for many years and was diagnosised 3 years ago.  Quit for a while and now has started up again, but now it does not matter because she is at the end of her life with PC.

i  read somewhere online (on the pancan.org website? maybe) that 40% of pancreatic cancers are linked to smoking. that is a pretty high incidence if that is true. not to mention all the other cancers that smoking is directly linked to. i quit smoking 17 years ago after 3 separate attempts. one of the best things i've ever done for myself and my family. my husband couldn't quit until he got pancreatic cancer. he never picked up another cigarette until the day he died 9 months later.  i always told him it would be like "feeding" the tumor and the likelihood of its recurrence even more likely if he ever started smoking again. i am glad he quit. it made him feel better to know he had been able to kick that ugly habit. sincerely jimandkathy

In Australia the peak medical spokesman for PC believes pancreatic cancer rates would drop by 20% if people did not smoke.  And alcohol in general is now considered a carcinogen according to our anti-cancer council.  That leaves 80% of cases non smoking related.  If your mum had kept fit and quit so long ago she would not have still had smokers lungs, which would have added another hurdle to the fight.  In all likelihood she did not do this to hereself - but use the connection to scare any of your own children i am 

My father smoked also, but only for a few years and not many cigarettes.  My father never drank, cut his fat intake the last 7 years and exercised regularly.  He did work for Union Carbide in his late 20's so that could be a factor. He also lived with a smoker, although my mother was very careful not to smoke in the house. 

 

My mother never smoked a day in her life. She never drank either, except for a couple of sips of wine when she was in her early twenties. Overall, she led an active life and was generally healthy. She was 5 weeks away from retirement when she became ill. Her diagnosis of Stage IV pancreatic cancer came on January 8th. She passed away May 27th.

Nicole

My father is 60, and was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic cancer in March. He was a smoker on and off for 40 years, and when off, a chewing tobacco habbit. He drank "socially" perhaps more social than the average person, but certainly not an alcoholic. Yes he was over weight for the last 20 years as well. He also worked in a car dealership for 35 years. I have read that all of these factors are possible causes. He hadn't smoked in the last 5 years, however with the very hopeless medical prognosis, and the inability to eat much, or enjoy much , sadly he has taken up smoking again. It is horrible to watch,, but it is hard to deny him the little joy he can get. His Oncologist knows, and really isn't making any fuss about it, I think he has the quality versus realistic quanity attitude. In any event, I wish someone would outlaw smoking in this country, we are told to do far more ridiculous things, like wear a seatbelt, why not out law such a horrid killer like cigarettes?