Patients who received chemotherapy, actively smoked and drank alcohol, and were diagnosed with head and neck cancer reported significantly higher rates of opiate use, according to study results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Palliative and Supportive Care Symposium.

Moreover, the researchers found that 70 percent of patients with cancer used opiates after radiation, and survivors who were treated with radiation for more than four weeks had higher rates of opiate use just one year after finishing treatment.

https://www.curetoday.com/articles/social-habits-cancer-type-and-treatment-impact-increased-rates-of-opioid-use