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In a decade-long study, ex-cigarette smokers who switched to vaping were found to have a higher risk of lung cancer than those who continued vaping. According to a study conducted in South Korea, people who quit smoking and then started vaping were more likely to develop lung cancer than those who did not vape. “This is the first large population-based study to demonstrate an increased risk of lung cancer in e-cigarette users after smoking cessation,” said Yeon Wook Kim, who led the study at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.
Former smokers have higher risk of lung cancer
Researchers examined 4,329,288 individuals in South Korea who had a history of traditional smoking. They took readings at two time points: 2012-2014, 2018, and a follow-up in December 2021. By the time of follow-up readings, researchers found that 53,354 individuals had developed lung cancer and 6,351 had died from lung cancer. Cancer in the intervening period.
Former cigarette smokers who tried e-cigarettes had a higher risk of lung cancer diagnosis and cancer-related death than former smokers who quit and also abstained from e-cigarettes Was. Kim said, “Our results suggest that when integrating smoking cessation measures to reduce lung cancer risk, the potential harms of using e-cigarettes as a smoking alternative should be considered. “
Are vapes less harmful than tobacco cigarettes?
E-cigarettes heat a liquid which becomes a vapor that you inhale. They sometimes contain tobacco, which is the main harmful part of cigarettes that causes cancer. However, e-cigarettes contain other potentially harmful chemicals, albeit at lower levels than tobacco cigarettes.
“Hazardous chemicals found in vaping products that can cause lung damage include acrolein, formaldehyde, diacetyl and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deeply,” said Ashley Marianos, an associate professor at the university. “The products may also contain heavy metals such as lead.” Cincinnati in America.
Many health care professionals and organizations believe that e-cigarettes are substantially safer than smoking tobacco. Vaping is also recommended as a tool to help quit smoking cigarettes. Experts have said that e-cigarettes are safe in the short to medium term, but are unlikely to be risk-free in the long term. Marianos said there are many unknowns about vaping, especially regarding long-term human health effects.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests that vaping may be associated with lung problems, including asthma. Additionally, the limited studies we have indicate that secondhand aerosol exposure may be associated with respiratory symptoms and diseases,” Marianos told DW. Is.” Vaping products can also be harmful.
Do e-cigarettes cause cancer?
E-cigarette liquids may contain trace amounts of many chemicals that cause cancer. A heavy user may ingest these chemicals several times a day for many years. But is there evidence that vaping directly causes cancer? No, not really – it is currently unknown to what extent exposure is sufficient to cause cancer.
On the one hand, studies show that short-term vaping for less than two years is not associated with an increase in cancer diagnoses. But this latest study from South Korea is one of several recent studies showing that vapes may increase the risk of developing cancer later in life, at least for people who used to smoke traditional cigarettes.
A study published in March 2024 found that vape users and cigarette smokers had similar changes in the DNA of cells in the mouth. Such changes have elsewhere been linked to the future development of lung cancer in smokers, but do not prove that people who vape will necessarily develop cancer. Marianos said researchers do not have enough evidence overall to draw conclusions about the long-term health effects of vaping, including cancer outcomes. The science is also inconclusive about whether vaping is more harmful for some people than others, for example in pregnant women or children.
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