Is it more important to quit smoking than which chemotherapy is used?

Many patients continue to smoke after their diagnosis of cancer. It is a critically important time to work with the patient to have them stop smoking. Many oncologists may underestimate the potential interactions of smoking with their anti-tumor therapy. The detrimental possibilities are examined as they relate to surgery, radiation and most importantly, to chemotherapy. Oncologists must become more active in working with their continuing smokers in order to aid in their response to interventions. Documentation of smoking status is critical to report in future studies that have evaluated therapeutic options. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.