i dont understand...why would a person who just had surgery on there tongue want to smoke?? i know people are addictated to cigs but you would think after getting that 2nd chance at life you would wake up and not want to smoke.. and make the best of the 2nd chance that has been given to you..it really upsets me to see people smoke after all of this...

Barb,

I know it is hard to understand.. ?? You do not smoke so I understand your thoughts. ( I am guessing)

I first had tongue cancer and thought after surgery all was well... I guested Wrong!!! I did quite smoking for 6 months., Then started again... Then had cancer spread to other nodes.

OK, now you ask, why did I smoke.?? I did because I did not know that the cancer had already spread. I did because this is my addiction for over 40 years. I started smoking when I was 13. I am smoke free as of 2005 and I am very proud of it!!

Now here is a new lesson for you. You do not have to be a smoker to get this type of cancer. Shocking !! isn't it?? I was very shock to learn this.

When I was diagnosed with this, I thought well it is your own fault.!! Then I learned later that people that did not smoke got it... So now what??

I hope this will help you understand what is what. Smoking is a addiction, a chemical, a drug. Even coffee is considered the same. So it is important for all of us to learn everything we can about CANCER.

Take care and keep Learning!!
Diane

Barb - I share your feelings. I never smoked but have had loved ones who did and it has been so difficult for me to understand why some people seem to quit so easily and others cannot. My son, for whom I've been a caregiver is a non-smoker. He's the one that got cancer whle my other son (five years older) who has been a long time smoker has never had cancer of any kind! (so far) From what I've learned, nagging the person doesn't help so I'm still learning and when I find the "right moment", I share with my older son what I've learned about cancer and its effects.

well i hope i didnt offend any one with this question but it just doesnt make any sense to me at all.. and your right Diane im not a smoker so maybe thats why i have a hard time with this.. so if a person continues to smoke after surgery how much more likely are they to get there cancer back? i know a girl i work with has had tongue cancer twice now.. she didnt quit smoking after the first time and the cancer came back and now after the 2nd time she has quit and so far shes ok..are some people more suseptable then others on this coming back if they continue? I dont want to offend anyone with this but i just need help understanding it all.. im guessing if i was a smoker i would feel different about it..

This is from the Mouth Cancer Foundation uk website:

"Tobacco and alcohol are the most important oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer risk factors. Mouth cancer is largely a lifestyle disease, meaning that the majority of cases are related to tobacco and alcohol use. Approximately 90% of people with mouth cancer are tobacco users. Smokers are 6 times more likely than nonsmokers to develop mouth cancer. Users of smokeless tobacco have a 50 times more likely chance of developing mouth cancer. Statistics show only 6% of head and neck cancer recurrence in patients who stop smoking in contrast to 37% of head and neck cancer patients who continue smoking developing a second cancer. People who stop using tobacco, even after many years of use, can greatly reduce their risk of all smoking related illnesses, including mouth cancer"

But everyone is different. As we all know - this just isn't an exact science unfortunately.
My chemo nurse said that life stlye choices can make a difference as to whether a cancer will reocour. But that would of course depend on the cause of the original cancer.

As a none smoker it frustrates me too to see people playing russian roulette with their health. I'll never understand it. But i respect it's their choice. & if they get cancer as a direct result of their habit. Then that burden is on their shoulders i guess. Maybe thats harsh?

Maybe Chelle but why does one person get it and another doesnt?

Who knows!
So many factors have to be in place for a cell to mutate into a cancerous one. I guess some of it must be chance.
For example, they think the cancer i had is related to the EBV virus. The cells in the back of the Nasopharynx release an immortal protein because of the virus - but that doesn't makes them cancerous. Some other contributing factor then makes them mutate, and becasue they can't die the mutated cells multiply into a tumour.

Perhaps some day scientists will understand the whys and wherefores. Until then i guess some of us are just unlucky.
& in the view of smoking - everyone knows its not good for your health, cancer, heart disease, lung disease etc. But people still start smoking every day!
Maybe if the reasons some people get off scot free (though with lighter pockets) are discovered then there would be no life style related cancers! & if that reason were ever discovered then cigarettes would be made illegal & where would our government get all there taxes from? *lol*
Now thats just opening another Pandoras box!

i got another question... what about second hand smoke?? is it worse on a person then just smoking the cigarettes your self?? im 38 years old and never had a cigarette in my mouth but i dont think i would really want to see what my lungs look like... i have been around smoke all my life and im sure my lungs look just like anyone that smokes..some times i think i should just take up smoking but then think better of it..

I know what you mean Barb,
Both of my parents were heavy smokers. My dad would even smoke in the car with me & my sisters! It's selfish, because what choice do kids & babies have?
I don't allow smoking in my flat. Even my partner goes outside for a cigarette now. & everyone's respectful not to smoke around me.

Hi All,

I am ashamed to admit that I am a smoker. At 13 it was the "cool" thing to do. I quit when I was pregnant with my daughter 23 years ago and picked up the habit again when she was about one. I think I quit again for about 5 months sometime between then and now, only to pick it up again. On Feb. 3 of 2006 I quit for 6 months only to once again pick up that cigarette during a stressful time. (kicking self) I've been smoking ever since. This Tuesday I will be having surgery on my spine to remove a herniated disc at the C-4, C-5 level. Once I'm released from the hospital I will be spending a week at my moms house where smoking is not allowed. My plan is to get over the "hump" while I'm at my moms and have all the cigarettes out of my house so when I return home they will not be available. I wont be allowed to drive so going around the corner to get a pack is not an option.

Cigarettes are by FAR the most addictive thing I have ever put in my body. I really want to kick this thing, especially with all that is going on with my Dad. He NEVER smoked a cigarette or took a drink in his entire life. Why he got this terrible disease is beyond me. I've many times thought that it should be me going through this and not him.

Chelle, you are right....how selfish it is to smoke around your children as they have no choice in breathing in the second hand smoke. I always smoked outside and never in the car with my daughter.

The last time I quit, it really wasnt that bad. After 72 hours the nicotine is out of your system, after that any withdrawls you have are purely psychological.

I'd like to challenge anyone out here who is a smoker to please kick the habit with me this Tuesday, August 14th. We could start a topic under the Friends section and help each other through it. If you dont want to do it for yourself, give it some thought and do it for the ones you love. I'm doing this one in honor of my Dad.

I'll be out of pocket from about Tuesday through Sunday, but I hope to see that others have accepted my challenge when I return.

Joy