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Vaping Likely Causes Cancer

Nicotine-based e-cigarettes, or vapes, contain substances that may increase the risk for oral and lung cancers, according to a research review published March 30, 2026, in Carcinogenesis. E-cigarettes were first introduced to U.S. markets in the early 2000s and have often been promoted as a tool for quitting smoking, the Guardian reported. But research has connected e-cigarette use with potential harms. The Carcinogenesis review explored studies conducted since 2017. Findings linked vaping with changes in a person’s DNA, which increases their risk for cell malfunction that could lead to cancer, the Daily Mail reported. Researchers also found that e-cigarettes may lead to oxidative stress—an imbalance of certain molecules that can lead to cell and tissue damage—and inflammation in mouth and lung tissue, both of which are linked to cancer development. Additionally, lab studies performed in mice demonstrated a connection between inhaling nicotine, flavoring agents and heavy metals found in e-cigarettes and lung tumors. “It took about 100 years for the evidence to be conclusive enough to say that smoking causes lung cancer, and the history of events evolved over time as people became more and more exposed to tobacco,” Freddy Sitas, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, told the Daily Mail. “And we are seeing a similar evolution with e-cigarettes.”

De-escalating Radiation May Be Safe in Breast Cancer

Reducing radiation doses based on results of chemotherapy maintains low rates of regional recurrence for people with breast cancer, according to a study presented March 25, 2026, at the European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Researchers analyzed data from 838 people with breast cancer to see whether adjusting radiation based on the cancer’s response to chemotherapy impacted their risk for recurrence. Researchers categorized participants in low-, intermediate- and high-risk categories based on the amount of cancer remaining in the lymph nodes after chemotherapy, MedPage Today reported. Participants received different treatments based on their risk category and the type of surgery they had. People in the low-risk group only had radiation if they had a lumpectomy, while those who had more extensive surgeries skipped radiation. People in the intermediate-risk group received radiation if they had undergone a lumpectomy or mastectomy and possibly radiation to the lymph nodes depending on how many were removed during surgery, while all people in the high-risk group received radiation following surgery. After 10 years, across all groups, 2.9% of participants had a recurrence in the same breast or in nearby lymph nodes or tissues. Ten years after treatment, 83% of people remained alive, and 79.2% of people in the study did not see their cancer return anywhere in the body for at least 10 years. “The results of our study show that tailoring the extent of radiotherapy according to how well the chemotherapy has worked to treat cancer in the lymph nodes leads to very low and reassuring recurrence rates in the breast and surrounding area,” Fleur Mauritz, a radiation oncologist in training at Maastricht Radiation Oncology Institute in the Netherlands, said in a press release. “In a selected group of patients, we see very low recurrence rates even when we leave radiotherapy out completely.”

Incidental Findings From Lung Screening Associated With Increased Risk for Other Cancers

Low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans can screen for lung cancer. However, suspicious areas found outside the lungs—known as significant incidental findings—may indicate an increased risk for an extrapulmonary cancer diagnosis within a year of screening, according to a study published March 31, 2026, in JAMA Network Open. Extrapulmonary cancer refers to any cancer that starts in organs or tissues outside the lungs that are visible in chest imaging, such as kidney, thyroid, esophageal or breast cancer, as well as lymphoma. In the study, researchers analyzed data from 75,104 lung cancer screenings performed on more than 26,000 people ages 55 to 74 to determine how these incidental findings correlate with new cancer diagnoses. Within one year of a scan, 3% of participants with these incidental findings received an extrapulmonary cancer diagnosis. This represents an increase of nearly 14 diagnoses per 1,000 participants compared with those who did not have incidental findings, MedPage Today reported. The association was strongest for urinary cancers, lymphomas and leukemias. “These findings suggest that certain [significant incidental findings] should be evaluated as potential indicators of undiagnosed cancers,” the researchers wrote.