New research warns that vaping electronic cigarettes may cause cancer

A new study led by scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia issues a grave warning: vaping is very likely to cause lung cancer and oral cancer. The related paper has been published in the latest issue of the journal “Carcinogenesis.”

For a long time, e-cigarettes have often been seen as a “harm-reduction alternative” to traditional cigarettes or as a smoking-cessation aid, but the risk that they cause cancer on their own has rarely drawn attention. The latest research brings together a multidisciplinary team, including pharmacists, epidemiologists, thoracic surgeons, and public health experts, to conduct an in-depth review of existing evidence from multiple perspectives.

The team combined evidence from clinical trials, animal studies, and laboratory data, conducting a comprehensive examination of the chemical constituents in e-cigarette aerosols. Triple lines of evidence—clinical monitoring, animal models, and mechanistic studies—show that in people who vape, biomarkers indicate DNA damage, oxidative stress, and tissue inflammation; mouse experiments confirm tumor formation in the lungs; and cell studies reveal that carcinogenic pathways are activated. Based on all findings, the team concludes that e-cigarettes indeed have carcinogenic potential.

Tobacco harm research has been underway for over a century. Although e-cigarettes are a new phenomenon, addiction, poisoning, and lung damage caused by inhaling nicotine-containing aerosols are already all too common. The team detected multiple carcinogenic compounds in the aerosol, including volatile organic compounds and metal microparticles released from heated coils.

The team also made a historical comparison between the current status of e-cigarettes and tobacco harm research from a century ago. From sporadic warnings in the mid-19th century to the U.S. reporting in 1964 that officially recognized smoking as carcinogenic, humankind underwent nearly a hundred years of scientific struggle before uncovering tobacco’s deadly truth. During this period, early warning signals were often ignored. From tuberculosis to cardiovascular disease, and then to lung cancer, the warnings were verified step by step—at a terrible cost.

The team emphasizes that e-cigarettes appear to be replaying the same pattern from the past. Faced with new health threats, people should not repeat the same mistakes.

(Source: Science and Technology Daily)