ANA Discussion Forum

General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: PaulW on April 21, 2012, 04:42:28 pm

Title: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: PaulW on April 21, 2012, 04:42:28 pm
Who would have thought!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22517809

To think that if I had smoked I might not have an AN.... I could have swapped it for lung cancer!
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: Archer on April 21, 2012, 07:19:47 pm
If it was actually a choice on your part I'd say you made the right one.
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: leapyrtwins on April 22, 2012, 02:19:38 pm
Hmm.  Might explain why my ex didn't get the acoustic neuroma, but I did.

Interesting . . .

Jan
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: Jim Scott on April 22, 2012, 03:40:50 pm
Interesting.  I smoked for 32 years and quit ('cold turkey') in 1989.  I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in 2006, 17 years later. My doctor estimated it had been growing for 'at least 15 years'.   Coincidence?  Probably, but I'll never know for certain.  Still, I'm glad I quit smoking and only wish I'd done it sooner.  My advice is: don't start. 

Jim
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: pjb on April 23, 2012, 07:31:19 am
Interesting.  I smoked for 32 years and quit ('cold turkey') in 1989.  I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in 2006, 17 years later. My doctor estimated it had been growing for 'at least 15 years'.   Coincidence?  Probably, but I'll never know for certain.  Still, I'm glad I quit smoking and only wish I'd done it sooner.  My advice is: don't start. 

Jim

I also quit around 1991 and had smoke for years I started when I was very very young and was diagnosed with an AN in 2007....

Best Wishes,
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: opp2 on April 23, 2012, 07:35:36 am
If it was actually a choice on your part I'd say you made the right one.

I did not read your link. But I feel inclinded to tell you, I smoked for fifteen years. I quit in 1994. My an was diagnosed in 2009. I Don't think so, and from my own experience...don't start. This study is BS in my cicumstances.
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: Mickey on April 23, 2012, 08:05:38 am
Very interesting...I quit smoking about 20 years ago. My AN could have been brewing for a long time??? In my case I developed a alergic recaction which prevented me from smoking again after I quit. In any case got to be one of the best health measures I took hopefully for longivity. Best wishes, Mickey
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: Chances3 on April 23, 2012, 11:27:55 am
Now that we have some scientific evidence that stops the little buggers, we need science to discover the healthy alternatives for AN prevention. 
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: PaulW on April 24, 2012, 05:48:32 pm
I guess my initial thoughts were like some others. This study is BS.
But then I thought a little further, and it was likely that the authors were probably looking for the exact opposite, a link to smoking causing Acoustic Neuroma. When they discovered the opposite they published the results.
While the opposite result was received, this observation may one day lead to a cure for Acoustic Neuroma.
65 Years ago a drug called Thalidomide was released, causing horrible birth defects. After decades of nobody wanting to touch the stuff, it is now seen as a cancer cure. While Tobacco may be seen as an evil today...who knows maybe this observation will mean all we need to do to shrink an AN is to wear a nicotine patch!...
Please don't try this, it is nothing but very wild speculation, but hopefully you see my point that the observation could lead to a cure.

No sensible person should be looking at taking up smoking to attempt some sort of tumour regression.
The study indicates that smoking reduces the risk of Acoustic Neuroma's starting. There is no link showing smoking in anyway inhibits growth once it starts.

We also need to remember that so many smoked in the 70's and 80's and those that did smoke, have now most likely given up, and have now reached the age where most AN's are detected 40-65.

The risk of heart disease, lung cancer and so many other ailments from smoking far outweigh any possible benefit to AN's

Maybe one day this observation may be the key to unlocking, a better understanding on how AN's start and a drug based cure for AN.
Title: Re: Smoking reduces Acoustic Neuroma Risk
Post by: Kathleen_Mc on April 26, 2012, 11:08:45 pm
Guess I defy study/definition yet again......smoker and had been for years before Dx of AN
Kathleen