E-cigarettes ‘ineffective in helping cancer patients quit smoking’

A new study from the US has indicated that e-cigarettes may not be helpful to cancer patients who are trying to quit their smoking habits.

Published in the medical journal Cancer, the research looked at 1,074 cancer patients who smoked and were enrolled between 2012 and 2013 in a tobacco treatment programme at a comprehensive cancer centre.

Although a threefold increase in e-cigarette use was observed during the period, it was shown that those using e-cigarettes in addition to traditional cigarettes were more nicotine-dependent and equally or less likely to have quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users.

Following the conclusion of the trial, e-cigarette users were just as likely as non-users to still be smoking, while seven-day abstinence rates were 44.4 percent versus 43.1 percent for e-cigarette users and non-users, respectively.

Dr Jamie Ostroff, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said: "Controlled research is needed to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of e-cigarettes as a potential cessation approach for cancer patients."

E-cigarettes are often positioned as smoking cessation aids or healthier alternatives to tobacco. However, there is currently a lack of scientific evidence available to firmly substantiate either claim, meaning their regulatory status remains under debate.