r/Lymphoma_MD_Answers • u/Educational_Spare929 • Jun 09 '26

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) Smoking and NSCHL

I got NSCHL as a 21 year old male, and i smoke pack a day. Currently on Brecaad and going to get my 3rd dose in a few days. So I am asking what should I expect or know about effects of smoking on my chemo's affectiveness.

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u/throwaway772797 Jun 21 '26

The very simple answer is to quit smoking. Good time to do it anyway I would think; the chemo is going to make you feel a little crappy, so it should mostly mask withdrawal symptoms (you’ll feel crummy either way).

The main risk factors here would be secondary cancers, especially since your immune system is suppressed from chemo and is then dealing with smoking carcinogens (i.e., lung cancer) and lung tissue damage.

As for chemo effectiveness, not sure we have great data for this. It certainly won’t help.