No good data right now on whether vaping or cannabis presents similar cancer risk as cigarettes, University of Missouri Health pulmonologist says [Video]

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KY3) – Missouri ranks 6th among the states with the highest rates of lung cancer, the disease’s deadliest form.

Even still, overall rates of the disease are going down as fewer and fewer Americans take up smoking.

Dr. Tinashe Maduke, an MU Health Care pulmonologist, said there’s little if any, conclusive research on the long-term effects of vaping or its contribution to cancer risk. Likewise, with cannabis, most legalized markets in the U.S. have only recently established themselves.

When to get screened for Lung Cancer

A chilling reminder: If you only get screened for lung cancer after experiencing symptoms, that means it’s already in a late stage and very dangerous, according to Maduke.

“For lung cancer, if you are developing symptoms, by definition, you are already at an advanced stage,” Maduke said.

Lung cancer is both the deadliest form of cancer and the most preventable, as the Centers for Disease Control reports cigarette smoking is tied to 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths.

That …