For Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Mercy oncologist warns against vaping and tobacco use

JOPLIN, Mo. — November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Smoking and tobacco use is the most common cause of lung cancer, and in southwest Missouri, it’s the most common form of cancer, as well as the number one cancer killer. But is vaping as dangerous as traditional cigarettes and cigars?

Mercy Oncologist Dr. Samir Dalia says vaping hasn’t been around long enough to have detailed data, but he’s pretty sure it will turn out to be just as deadly.

“Even the FDA came out on one of the vaping people and said you can’t market this they way you’re doing it, you can’t even have your product anymore because there’s carcinogens in your product, so our assumption is that 20, 25 years from now we’re going to learn that vaping was also gonna cause lung cancer just like any other tobacco product,” said Dr. Samir Dalia M.D., Mercy Hemotology & Oncology.

And even though it may not cause lung cancer, he says chewing tobacco also causes cancer, in this case in the head and neck.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *