Study Links Vaping to Early Cancer-Related Changes in Mouth and Lungs

A recent Australian study has raised concerns about a potential connection between vaping and early signs of cancer in the mouth and lungs, prompting calls for preventive regulatory actions. Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney examined scientific literature, animal experiments, human case reports, and laboratory studies from 2017 to 2025.

Published in the journal Carcinogenesis, the study discovered that exposure to nicotine-infused e-cigarette vapor may lead to early biological changes indicative of cancer, such as DNA damage and heightened inflammation. This finding is troubling as vaping is believed to induce alterations in cells and tissues within the mouth and lungs.

Bernard Stewart, a co-researcher, noted that the act of inhaling e-cigarette vapor results in discernible changes in these tissues. However, the researchers highlighted that e-cigarettes have only recently become widely available, implying the need for more long-term data to determine the extent of potential cancer cases linked to vaping.

Additionally, the study reviewed instances of individuals diagnosed with oral cancer who admitted to vaping but had never smoked traditional cigarettes, adding further cause for concern. Animal studies corroborated these results, with certain experiments demonstrating that mice exposed to e-cigarette vapor were more likely to develop lung tumors.

While these findings cannot be directly applied to humans, the researchers emphasized the need for regulators to consider the emerging evidence and implement preventive measures, particularly as vaping gains popularity, especially among younger demographics.