Vaping doesn’t lower risk of lung cancer risk for smokers

If you’ve quit smoking and have switched to vaping instead, your odds for lung cancer won’t fall as steeply as if you quit nicotine altogether, new research suggests.

“This is the first large population-based study to demonstrate the increased risk of lung cancer in e-cigarette users after smoking cessation,” said study lead author Dr. YeonWook Kim. He’s an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in Seongnam, South Korea.

Kim’s team presented its findings Monday at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Many smokers are turning to nicotine-laden vapes in what they may believe is a “safe” switch from traditional cigarettes.