A recent study conducted by New York University (NYU) has suggested the first concrete e-cigarette cancer connection. Tough the results came under immediate scrutiny, CNBC has reported that the researchers themselves have maintained a realistic level of certainty throughout.
The Source of the E-Cigarette Cancer Connection
The e-cigarette cancer connection arose after an experiment in mice resulted in lung cancer and indications of bladder cancer in mice. With these facts established throughout their four-year experiment, researchers at New York University concluded that consuming e-cigarettes is unhealthy for mice and likely “very harmful” to humans.
The NYU study to determine the e-cigarette cancer connection discovered that the e-cigarette vapor inhaled by users caused DNA damage in the lungs and bladder that “inhibits DNA repair in lung tissues.” As a result of this damage, 22.5% of the 40 mice exposed to e-cigarette vapors developed lung cancer and 57.5% of the mice developed precancerous lesions on the bladder. It was also noted as additional evidence for the e-cigarette cancer connection that none of the 20 mice exposed to e-cigarette smoke without nicotine developed cancer over the four years the mice were studied.
Though the researchers stated that they are confident that nicotine-filled e-cigarettes are “bad news” and that the e-cigarette cancer connection is solid, they did not place absolute faith in their results. Dr. Moon-Shong Tang told reporters that there was a strong statistical significance to the data but admitted there were limitations to the experiment. Some of those limitations included the sample size, the fact that although the amount of vapor inhaled was equivalent to what a human would inhale, mice did not inhale as deeply as a human, and the mice may have been more likely to develop cancer in their lifetime anyway.
Despite these limiting factors, Dr. Tang believes that the research is as good as can be acquired since id will be “decades” before genuine cases will become available to study. Dr. Tang also commented on the danger of long term exposure, particularly due to the number of minors and young adults using e-cigarettes regularly.
The e-cigarette cancer connection was not, however, unopposed. Tony Abboud, the executive director of the Vapor Technology Association, disputed the findings of Dr. Tang and his team. Abboud cited a 2015 study by Public Health England that had concluded that e-cigarettes were “at least 95% safer” than traditional cigarettes. Abboud also released a statement via email in which he wrote “As with all individual studies there are enormous limitations such as the minute sample size that the authors in this specific study point out.” Abboud then called for more research to be done and a larger body of scientific evidence to be considered before leaping to conclusions.
Abboud also used a 2016 report by British doctor’s group the Royal College of Physicians to support his argument against the e-cigarette cancer connection which said the harm caused by e-cigarettes equated to about 5% “of the burden caused by tobacco smoking.” Neither of these studies, however, denies that e-cigarettes may still be harmful to their users.
While there is certainly room for clarification on both sides, Dr. Moon-Shong Tang points out that there is a significant difference between “safer” and “safe.” Dr. Tang told reporters “Young kids think it’s safer, but it will cause cancer in mice.”
For more information about the dangers e-cigarettes pose to the body, visit Parker Waichman’s Vaping Device Heart Disease or Death Lawsuit Lawyers Page.
How the E-Cigarette Cancer Connection Affects Your Compensation
The e-cigarette cancer connection is a troubling but unsurprising breakthrough in e-cigarette research. The troubling aspect, as Dr. Tang described, is how many minors and youths are now at risk for lung and bladder cancer as the result of predatory marketing and reckless marketing practices. If you or a loved one have developed lung or bladder cancer after using nicotine e-cigarette fluids, you may be entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses past and present as well as other damages. To receive that compensation you will need a law firm that is experienced, resourceful, and able to fight toe to toe with big corporations. That law firm is Parker Waichman LLP.
At Parker Waichman LLP, teams of experienced trial attorneys are prepared to pursue your case to its utmost extent to recover the compensation that you are entitled to. With a proved track record of combatting large corporations, Parker Waichman knows how to win you the compensation you deserve. Don’t wait. Contact Parker Waichman today for a free consultation and begin your journey for justice.
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