Giving up smoking

There is evidence about the benefits of stopping smoking when you are diagnosed with cancer. They include recovering more quickly  and having fewer or less serious treatment side effects.

Even if you have recovered from cancer, stopping smoking increases your chances of living a longer and healthier life.

Your general health will get better because quitting smoking:

• improves your blood circulation
• lowers your blood pressure
• boosts your immune system
• helps improve your breathing, or stops it from getting worse.

Your risk of the other health conditions reduces when you stop smoking. These include:

• heart or lung disease
• strokes
• bone thinning (osteoporosis).

Stopping smoking also helps the health of your friends and family, or those around you. This is because you are preventing children, anyone who is pregnant and other adults from being harmed through second-hand smoke (passive smoking).

Your doctor and nurse can tell you about the support that is available. Your GP can also give you support and refer you to an NHS stop smoking service. You can also do this yourself (see below).

There is lots of advice, support and treatment to help you to stop smoking.

Quitting smoking is much easier when you have support from others. Talk to your cancer doctor or nurse, GP or pharmacist. Your family and friends can also encourage and support you.

Using an NHS stop smoking service gives you a much higher chance of success than trying to stop on your own.

Specially trained stop smoking advisers give you advice, support and encouragement. You have regular one-to-one meetings with your adviser. Many areas also offer group support and drop-in and telephone services.

There are stop smoking services across the UK:

• In England, contact NHS Smokefree.
• In Scotland, contact Quit Your Way Scotland.
• In Wales, contact Help Me Quit.
• In Northern Ireland, contact stopsmokingni.info

They will give you information and support on:

• making a plan to stop smoking
• setting a quitting date
• using stop smoking aids, including nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medicines
• coping with withdrawal
• how to make sure you do not start smoking again.