Over the past decade, e-cigarettes, vapes or electronic cigarettes, have grown markedly in popularity as an alternative to traditional tobacco smoking. Then marketed as a safer alternative to reduce smoking related harm, many have taken up vaping hoping to avoid well established health risks of cigarette smoking. But as vapes become more popular, many questions about the long term effects of vaping remain unanswered. One of the most critical questions is: Does using electronic cigarettes cause cancer? This blog delves into what the research is, what experts think, and if there is a link between e-cigarettes and cancer risk.
Understanding E-Cigarettes and Their Ingredients
E-cigarettes heat a liquid made up of various chemicals, such as nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol, also referred to as “vapor,” and customers inhale it. The user vaporizes this liquid and inhales it like he smokes the cigarette but the cigarette has not burned his tobacco. Absent combustion, the missing combustion encouraged that vaping is a healthier alternative to the traditional cigarette. But the chemical that e-cigarettes produce is a cloud of many chemicals — some of which are toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Despite assertings that vaping, potentially, exposes users to fewer harmful chemicals than smoking, vaping is still not completely risk free. It’s still not known whether these ingredients could harm the body in the long run, resulting in cancer or something else.
E-Cigarettes vs. Traditional Cigarettes: What We Know
We know that smoking conventional cigarettes causes cancer. Lung cancer, throat cancer and other forms of cancer are caused by the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke—tar, thousands of other chemicals. The reason behind is, e-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco or hit of combustion, so they pollute the individuals with fewer harmful chemicals. That does not mean that e-cigarettes are harmless, however. Vaping is still full of harmful chemicals, which can impact the body in the exact same ways, causing cellular damage and even cancer, according to studies. As a result, the question of whether e-cigarettes actually cause cancer is not a straightforward one, compared simply to traditional cigarettes.
What Research Says About Vaping and Cancer Risk
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed writing that, to date, no human cancer cases have been found to be linked directly to e-cigarette use. But research on this hasn’t really started yet and scientists say the long term effects of vaping are not known yet. Some worrying evidence has been found in animal studies. Researchers have seen DNA damage and inflammation in the lungs, bladder, and heart tissues of animals exposed to e-cigarette vapor in laboratory settings, suggesting a risk for cancerous changes over time.
Another is the role of nicotine in cancer develpment. Even though nicotine itself is not a carcinogen, it can help cells grow cancer by encouraging existing cancer cells to divide and spread. Some flavoring agents that can be added to e-liquids have been also found to release toxic compounds when heated. Also these compounds, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have been linked to lung disease and cancer.
Vaping and Specific Cancer Types: What We Know So Far
Lung Cancer
Because e-cigarettes immediately affect the respiratory system, researchers have poured tons of time and attention into determining whether or not vaping causes lung cancer. Some of the chemicals that go into making e-cigarette vapor — like carcinogens like tar — are less likely to cause immediate lung damage than when inhaled through traditional cigarette smoke. But other research hints that these chemical may still be dangerous. Johns Hopkins University raised concern about the long terms effects of inhaling heated chemicals in a study, saying inhaling could cause lung tissue damage and may increase cancer risk. No direct evidence yet connects vaping with lung cancer, but experts warn caution because some e-cigarette ingredients can do damage.
Esophageal Cancer
Vaping is also known to cause another concern: esophageal cancer. But, the vapor enters the lungs through the throat and some researchers have raised alarm about a possible impact on the esophagus. Initial findings, according to Moffitt Cancer Center, indicate that deeper research suggests vaping chemicals might be linked to persistent exposure and esophageal cancer in some people. Long-term exposure to the chemicals in flavored vape juices as well as the high nicotine in them can also irritate the sensitive lining of the esophagus over time and could cause changes in the cells that lead to cancer, she said.
Bladder Cancer
Two things people continue to debate: how much smokers tend to vape, and whether the vapors being inhaled are safer than smoking. It has been found in research that e-cigarette vapor lends itself to chemicals entering the tract of body by contacting the bladder lining. These chemicals, however, could over time lead to DNA damage in bladder cells, raising the risk of cancer. We don’t yet have human studies, but studies in animals suggest that vapes may play a role in causing cancer of the bladder.
Can Vaping Lead to Other Health Issues Besides Cancer?
Suffice it to say, aside from the cancer risk, vaping has been associated with many other health risks. The most direct damage is to the lungs from vaping. In recent years and leading to multiple hospitalizations and deaths, e-cigarettes have been linked to lung injuries and conditions such as “vaping associated lung injury” (VALI). E-liquids can also cause inflammation, a known precursor to cancer, thanks to the chemicals they contain. But there’s evidence for heart disease, gum disease and addiction, especially among younger users.
Nicotine Addiction and Its Role in Cancer Development
Both traditional cigarettes, as well as many types of e-cigarettes contain a very highly addictive substance called nicotine. In fact, nicotine isn’t a direct cause of cancer itself, but evidence indicates the substance fosters cancer cell growth and impedes the body’s fighting power. It can also suppress the immune system – making it harder for the body to get rid of damaged cells before they become cancerous . That means vaping does cut exposure to some of the carcinogens in cigarette smoke, but it doesn’t eliminate risk of cancer — in fact, nicotine exposure from vaping could still lead to cancer, especially if high levels of nicotine are consumed over time.
What Health Experts Say About E-Cigarettes and Cancer Risk
While e-cigarettes are probably less harmful than smoking old-fashioned cigarettes, health experts don’t have a lot of consensus on whether they are without their own risks. E-cigarettes, which are considered less harmful than cigarettes, contain far fewer harmful chemicals, says Cancer Research UK, but the long term health effects of vaping are not yet known. More research is needed, particularly for cancer, experts say. The American Cancer Society and many other health organizations, including the advisory on e-cigarettes, recommend that smokers not use e-cigarettes at all because they pose risks.
The other, more pressing problem is youth vapers rising by the thousands. It’s not yet known how harmful e-cigarettes are over the long term because they are so new and many of the long term studies needed to truly understand them have not been done. That means the youth of today who do start vaping could end up with health problems — like cancer — down the road. Closely watching chemicals in e-cigarettes are health organizations, seeking to understand better their potential effects on cancer risk.
Regulatory Measures and Future Research Directions
In some ways, regulation of vaping has been a bit slow, but there is increasing recognition that as the popularity of e-cigarettes continues to skyrocket, regulatory bodies need to take a serious look at the potential dangers of vaping. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other world health agencies, the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes has been regulated especially to young people. One example of that is flavor bans in several countries to discourage kids from wanting to smoke e-cigarettes.
We don’t know yet what the long-term effects of vaping are. So far, the studies done have been short term, and have also frequently used animal models, cell cultures and not long term human data. We need longer studies that follow vapers for several decades to know whether e-cigarettes cause cancer. For now, they will err on the side of caution and advise people to avoid the use of e-cig, especially those who aren’t smokers.
Conclusion: Does Electronic Cigarettes Cause Cancer?
At this moment, the question is, ‘Does electronic cigarette cause cancer?’ and they have no conclusive proof to prove one way or the other. But the research available says e-cigarettes offer users fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes, yet there are risks. While more research is needed to establish a definite link, E-cigarette vapor does contain potentially carcinogenic substances that over time could lead to cancer development itself. However, there is currently little known about the long term effects on humans, which current studies on animals and cell cultures indicate that there may be the potential for harm. There are health experts’ recommendations of taking extra care, in particular, non smokers and younger people, as the long term effects of vaping are not yet known.
