<div><p>Smokers diagnosed with lung cancer should not assume they have been handed a death sentence, as quitting tobacco even at this stage can greatly boost their survival chances, doctors said on Friday.</p><p>Among those smokers who quit swiftly after diagnosis, 63-70 percent were still alive after five years, a benchmark of survival in cancer research, compared with only 29-33 percent among those who continued to smoke, they said in an online report published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).</p><p>The study, carried out by scientists at Birmingham University, central England, entailed a review of 10 published studies into smoking and cancer survival.</p><p>The authors speculate that tobacco smoke may accelerate progression of a tumour, although further work is needed to confirm this.</p><p>In any case, they say, the study says that it could be worthwhile for doctors to encourage smokers to give up their habit when diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer.</p><p>The link between lung cancer and smoking has been established for more than half a century. Lifelong smokers face a 20-fold risk of developing a primary lung tumour compared with non-smokers, according to a 2003 study.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67470805&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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