According to an article published in the New York Post on August 17, Dr. Lurdes Queimado, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Oklahoma, has proposed that weed smokers among cancer patients have more inflammation and less immune function, which could slow wound healing and increase complications.
To test her hypothesis, a new study will be conducted with 220 adult patients as they undergo tumor removal surgery for head and neck cancers, reconstruction, and a six-month recovery. Researchers will divide patients into four groups—cannabis users, tobacco users, combined users, and non-users—to study the impact of substance use on healing.
Cancer is a destructive illness that causes cells in the body to multiply uncontrollably and eventually interfere with the functioning of essential organs. Cancer remains a leading cause of death around the world. As per the latest data published by the WHO from 2022, the number of cancer deaths reached around 9.7 million worldwide that year.
Indeed, this statistic is alarming, especially since scientists estimate that about one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime. Often, the illness takes a toll on one’s physical and mental health, so it’s normal to feel fear, sadness, anxiety, and depression after learning that you have cancer.
Fortunately, there is a range of treatments available these days that can help fight against the disease. Chemotherapy is one such course of treatment. But what exactly is chemo, and how does it work? Click through and find out more about this common method of combating cancer.