Can vaping cause cancer? Risks and more A scientific review has raised fresh concerns about the long term cancer risks of vaping, concluding that e cigarettes are probably carcinogenic, while also acknowledging significant gaps in the evidence. The analysis of reviews Breast Cancer & E Cigarettes: Is Vaping a Safer Alternative to Smoking? Maurer Foundation Using nicotine based vapes is likely to cause lung and oral cancer, even if e cigarette users do not smoke tobacco, a watershed academic review has found.