Study Finds Vaping Quitters Face 56% Higher Lung Cancer Risk and 22% Higher Death Risk
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · Jul 15
Study Finds Vaping Quitters Face 56% Higher Lung Cancer Risk and 22% Higher Death Risk
2 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jul 15
Summary
More than 4.5 million former smokers in South Korea were tracked, and those who used e-cigarettes after quitting had a 56% higher lung cancer risk and 22% higher all-cause death risk than quitters who did not vape.
Compared with active smokers, former smokers who avoided e-cigarettes saw a 44% lower lung cancer risk and 37% lower death risk, while those who vaped after quitting showed much smaller reductions—12% and 23%, respectively.
Several sensitivity checks produced similar results, and the association was also seen among people who had quit smoking more than five years earlier, suggesting the findings were not driven only by recent quitters or heavier prior smoking.
Researchers and outside commentators said the observational study does not prove e-cigarettes cause lung cancer, but it may indicate vaping sustains biological processes linked to cancer development.
A separate study of 179,273 former smokers found switchers to e-cigarettes had a 24% higher diabetic retinopathy risk, reinforcing calls to treat vaping only as a temporary cessation aid rather than a long-term substitute.
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Overview
Groundbreaking research published in 2026 has advanced our understanding of the long-term health risks of e-cigarette use, especially regarding cancer. A major study by Kim et al., using data from 4.5 million ever-smokers in Korea, was featured in Nature Medicine and discussed by leading experts. This study carefully examined how using e-cigarettes after quitting traditional smoking affects lung cancer risk and mortality. The results show that switching to e-cigarettes after quitting can reduce the health benefits of quitting smoking, highlighting the need for stronger regulations and better public awareness about the risks of vaping.