Vaping devices, or e-cigarettes, are becoming more popular in the United States, especially among young people. These battery-powered devices let users inhale an aerosol that contains chemicals like nicotine. As of March 13, 2026, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized 41 e-cigarettes. Many of these products are designed to appeal to young consumers by adding sweet flavors to nicotine and making the devices look like everyday items such as pens, cellphones, or makeup.
A recent study published in the journal Carcinogenesis includes a carcinogenic risk assessment of nicotine-based e-cigarettes. The research included a comprehensive review of studies published between 2017 and 2025. The researchers identified data from the literature that evaluated the carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes. The review incorporated a variety of investigations, including both human and laboratory work. Some of the research types considered included case reports, analyses of biomarkers related to e-cigarette exposure or tumor development, and mechanistic work using animal models.
The study found that DNA damage, a risk factor for cancer development, correlated with carcinogens, like organic compounds and metals, attributed to vapes. Further, the authors reported biomarkers suggesting that vaping caused oxidative stress and inflammation, other factors associated with cancer. The review also discusses pre-clinical research studies where exposure to the aerosol from e-cigarettes caused lung cancer.
The report points out that earlier studies mostly called for more research to find out if e-cigarettes cause cancer. However, more recent studies raise concerns that e-cigarettes may be cancer-causing.
The review indicates that the multitude of published literature related to e-cigarettes, including work from human, laboratory, and cell studies, links their use to carcinogenicity. The authors conclude that e-cigarettes probably have carcinogenic properties and will likely increase cases of cancer, especially oral and lung cancers. Further work, including long-term population studies, is needed to quantify the extent of risk inferred by e-cigarette use.
Sources: FDA (March 13, 2026), Carcinogenesis, Am J Can Res, Free Radic Biol Med
