Researchers say this is the first evidence that combining these habits significantly raises cancer risk.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Increased Cancer Risk: The study found that individuals who both vape and smoke have a fourfold increased risk of developing lung cancer compared to those who only smoke.
- First Evidence: Researchers claim this is the first evidence showing that the combination of vaping and smoking significantly raises the risk of lung cancer, compared to smoking alone.
- Public Health Implications: Researchers say the findings highlight the need for regulators to consider the additional health risks associated with dual-use of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, especially concerning youth and young adults.
People who both vape and smoke are four times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who just smoke, according to a new study.
These findings were consistent across gender and race. According to the authors, this is the first study to provide evidence that smoking in combination with vaping increases the risk of cancer compared to smoking alone.
Researchers reported their findings in the Journal of Oncology Research and Therapy.
Study Design and Methods
For this case-control study, researchers analyzed cigarette smoking and use of electronic cigarettes (also known as vaping) in 4,975 people with lung cancer compared to a control group of 27,294 people without cancer. All study subjects were from the same general geographic location (treated in Columbus, Ohio) and had the same distribution of age, gender, and race.
Researchers found that vaping combined with cigarette smoking was eight times more common in people with lung cancer compared to the control group of people without lung cancer. In addition, the data showed that the risk of developing lung cancer was four times higher among people who combined vaping and smoking compared to those who only smoked.
“Our findings provide the first evidence that smoking in combination with vaping significantly increases the risk of lung cancer compared to smoking alone. Most people know that tobacco smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals but, overall, there is less knowledge about the chemicals that are inhaled through vape vapors,” says Randall Harris, MD, PhD, corresponding author of the study and professor of epidemiology in The Ohio State University College of Public Health, in a release.
Public Health Implications
Researchers say it is critical that regulators consider these additional health exposures in their regulation of the tobacco product industry to further protect public health, particularly when it comes to inhaled flavorings and nicotine dose concentrations.
“From a public health perspective, we have always been concerned about dual-use of both traditional and e-cig products. This study presents clear evidence showing that vaping in addition to smoking can increase your risk for lung cancer. This is especially concerning given the rate of youth and young adults using these products,” says lead author Marisa Bittoni, PhD, a researcher in the medical oncology division at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, in a release. “More research about the health effects of alternative tobacco products is critically needed to put science behind the regulation of the tobacco industry.”
This study was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute and the Richard B. Early Cancer Research Fund at The Ohio State University College of Public Health.
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