A new Australian study has raised concerns that vaping, or the use of e-cigarettes, may increase the risk of developing lung and oral cancer, prompting researchers to urge regulators to take precautionary action rather than wait for conclusive long-term evidence.
According to The Guardian, the research was led by experts at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The team reviewed scientific studies published between 2017 and 2025, including laboratory research, animal experiments, and human case reports, making it one of the most comprehensive investigations so far into whether nicotine e-cigarettes can contribute to cancer.
The review found that vaping is associated with several early biological changes linked to cancer development, including DNA damage and increased inflammation. These changes are widely recognized as important warning signs that may lead to cancer over time.
Published in the journal Carcinogenesis, the study concluded that vaping is connected to “early pre-cancerous changes” in the body.
Researcher Bernard Stewart explained that inhaling e-cigarette vapor causes noticeable changes in the cells and tissues of the mouth and lungs. However, because e-cigarettes have only been widely available since the early 2000s, long-term human data remain limited, making it difficult to determine exactly how many cancer cases may ultimately be linked to vaping.
The study also included reports of oral cancer in individuals who had only used e-cigarettes and had never smoked traditional cigarettes. In addition, animal studies found that mice exposed to e-cigarette vapor developed more lung tumors, although researchers cautioned that these findings cannot be directly applied to humans.
The researchers noted that it took nearly a century for the full health risks of cigarette smoking to be widely recognized. They warned that ignoring the early warning signs associated with vaping could lead to similar public health consequences.
Lead author Freddy Sitas said the widespread belief that vaping is significantly safer than smoking “may not be accurate.” He also noted that there is currently limited evidence on the most effective ways to help people quit vaping.
The researchers urged governments and public health authorities to strengthen regulations and increase efforts to protect young people from the potential harms of e-cigarettes.
At the same time, some experts cautioned against concluding that vaping is as harmful as conventional smoking based on the current evidence, pointing out that e-cigarettes do not produce many of the combustion-related chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
Overall, the study suggests that vaping should not be regarded as a risk-free alternative to smoking and that its potential health risks deserve serious attention and further long-term research.