I'm still in complete shock from my phone call yesterday regarding my biopsy results. I have been diagnosed with Stage 1 Laryngeal Cancer (aka Squamos Cell Carcinoma/aka throat cancer). It's been pretty hard to cope with this news, being that I'm only 31 years old and smoked for about 13 years. I'm in the <1% category of throat cancer patients for my age. I quite smoking and went full time vaping in February 2013, so I've been off the stinkies for 9 months now. I know people that have smoked for decades and are still chugging along, healthy as an ox. GRRRR!!!!
Doctors say the good news is my chances of a successful treatment is 97% due to my age and catching it so early.
I think the most common first question my friends and family have been asking the last 24 hours is: "was it caused by smoking, or that vaping thing?" I just get so frustrated and throw my hands in the air and tell them how vaping is completely harmless, or at least when compared to smoking. I try to educate them about the ingredients, where they come from, and how they are already present and ingested in our everyday lives in the forms of toothpaste, make up, inhalers, etc.
But then I start second guessing myself due to the lack of legitimate studies regarding what is truly in e-liquid and what the real side effects of vaping are. My doctors tell me my diagnosis is 100% due to smoking, but is it possible that vaping may have lended a hand in any way for those F'ing cells to form on my vocal chord? The ENT surgeon and my radiologist don't have an answer, so I'm coming here to see what the ECF opinions are.
Maybe there is someone out there walking (or have walked) in my shoes who are just as confused, scared, and unsure of what to do regarding their vaping hobby. I couldn't find a thread on ECF relating to this, so hopefully someone other than me will find this helpful.
Please don't troll and say "OMG dude, your so stupid to even consider vaping with throat cancer." Go get diagnosed with cancer and see if you're not as worried sick and confused as I am about what to do.
I look forward to reading your stories and opinions.
Doctors say the good news is my chances of a successful treatment is 97% due to my age and catching it so early.
I think the most common first question my friends and family have been asking the last 24 hours is: "was it caused by smoking, or that vaping thing?" I just get so frustrated and throw my hands in the air and tell them how vaping is completely harmless, or at least when compared to smoking. I try to educate them about the ingredients, where they come from, and how they are already present and ingested in our everyday lives in the forms of toothpaste, make up, inhalers, etc.
But then I start second guessing myself due to the lack of legitimate studies regarding what is truly in e-liquid and what the real side effects of vaping are. My doctors tell me my diagnosis is 100% due to smoking, but is it possible that vaping may have lended a hand in any way for those F'ing cells to form on my vocal chord? The ENT surgeon and my radiologist don't have an answer, so I'm coming here to see what the ECF opinions are.
Maybe there is someone out there walking (or have walked) in my shoes who are just as confused, scared, and unsure of what to do regarding their vaping hobby. I couldn't find a thread on ECF relating to this, so hopefully someone other than me will find this helpful.
- Will vaping during radiotherapy stall or possibly hinder my results? I can't recall the source, but I recall reading a research article stipulating that nicotine use can actually accelerate the growth and spreading of cancerous cells.
- I currently vape 6mg nicotine. Would it be in my best interest to drop down to zero mg to be absolutely safe?
- Are there certain devices I should stay away from? IE - sub ohm mesh coils, cotton wicks, silica wicks, cartomizer tanks, etc. I can say that the mesh coils are somewhat irritating because they produce very warm vapor.
- Or should I just kick vaping completely and bow out of the hobby and pick up knitting or something to keep my hands busy while I anxiously await my remission?
Please don't troll and say "OMG dude, your so stupid to even consider vaping with throat cancer." Go get diagnosed with cancer and see if you're not as worried sick and confused as I am about what to do.
I look forward to reading your stories and opinions.
Last edited: