Vaping Linked to Fatal Lung Cancer in Case Report

A new case report published in the American Journal of Case Reports has detailed the death of a 51-year-old New Jersey man from an aggressive lung cancer, with his doctors suggesting his decade-plus history of vaping likely contributed to the disease. While a direct causative link cannot be definitively confirmed from a single case, the report highlights a potential association between e-cigarette use and malignancy, adding to the growing body of research on the unique health risks of vaping.

Details of the Case

According to the report from physicians at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, the man sought medical attention in 2020 after experiencing symptoms including coughing up blood, weight loss, chest discomfort, and shortness of breath. Tests revealed he had a form of non-small cell lung carcinoma (specifically, squamous cell carcinoma). The cancer was already advanced, having spread to his heart, which made surgery impossible. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, the man’s health deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away just three months after his diagnosis.

The patient had a 10 pack-year history of smoking traditional cigarettes but had told his doctors he quit in 2009. He then switched exclusively to e-cigarettes for the subsequent 11 years. His last chest X-ray, taken two years prior to his diagnosis, had been normal, suggesting the cancer’s recent and rapid emergence. The doctors noted that the aggressive nature of the cancer, his relatively young age for such a diagnosis (most cases are found in people over 65), and his lack of recent cigarette use led them to suspect that vaping likely played a role in his death.

Context of Vaping-Related Health Risks

This case appears to be one of the first reports to explicitly link vaping to lung cancer. Previously, vaping has been associated with other serious health issues. In 2019, a mysterious lung disease outbreak in the U.S. (EVALI) was ultimately traced back to toxic additives, primarily Vitamin E acetate, used in THC-containing vapes. Other chemicals used to flavor e-liquids have also been tied to rare lung illnesses like “popcorn lung.” Additionally, isolated case reports have suggested a connection between chronic vaping and oral cancers.

While many health organizations, such as the NHS in the UK, maintain that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking, the long-term risks are still not fully understood. Some studies have suggested that “dual users” (people who both vape and smoke) may have a higher risk of lung cancer than those who only smoke. However, broader research to date has not yet shown a significant added risk of lung cancer among people who only vape and have never smoked.

The authors of this case report are not calling for immediate changes to cancer screening guidelines based on this single anecdote. Instead, they emphasize the urgent need for further studies to untangle the unique long-term dangers that vaping may pose, particularly its potential role in cancer development. The case serves as a critical reminder that while vaping might be a less harmful alternative to combustible cigarettes for some, it is not without its own inherent health risks.