E-cigarette use linked to lower use of lung cancer screening

Electronic cigarette use is associated with a lower use of lung cancer screening (LCS), according to a research letter published online July 2 in JAMA Network Open.

Qian Wang, M.D., M.P.H., from the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, and colleagues examined the association between e-cigarette use and LCS uptake in a cross-sectional study. Individuals who ever smoked cigarettes and were eligible for LCS according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 2021 recommendations were selected from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Data were included for 22,713 eligible individuals. The researchers found that 26.7% of individuals underwent LCS and 14.6% were up-to-date with LCS testing. Individuals who underwent LCS were older, more likely to have lower income and comorbidities, reported poor general health, and were less likely to be uninsured. Compared with those who did not undergo LCS, those undergoing LCS were more likely to report never using e-cigarettes.

After adjustment for confounders, individuals currently using e-cigarettes had lower odds of having undergone LCS (odds ratio, 0.79), with similar trends in individuals who previously used combustible cigarettes (odds ratio, 0.73). Compared with individuals who never use e-cigarettes, those currently using e-cigarettes had lower odds of being up-to-date with LCS (odds ratio, 0.67). Findings were similar for those who previously used combustible cigarettes and currently use e-cigarettes (odds ratio, 0.54).

“Former smokers who use e-cigarettes remain at increased risk of lung cancer and should be targeted by interventions to improve adherence to LCS,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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