22-Year-Old Diagnosed With Recurrent Lung Cancer Linked to Vaping

A 22-year-old woman from Manchester has been given 18 months to live after her lung cancer, which she attributes to years of vaping, returned following initial treatment. Kayley Boda, a retail assistant, began experiencing severe symptoms shortly after switching to disposable vapes, leading to a diagnosis at age 21 that has upended her life.

Boda started using reusable vapes at 15, after experimenting with smoking as a teenager. She consumed about one 600-puff device per week. In late 2024, she developed a widespread rash that doctors initially attributed to conditions like shingles, chickenpox or scabies, none of which responded to treatment. The rash left her scratching so intensely that she inflicted cuts on her skin.

By January 2025, Boda began coughing up dark brown mucus containing grainy particles, resembling the texture of sugar. She initially dismissed it as a side effect of heavy vaping but sought medical help when it persisted. Doctors diagnosed a chest infection or possible scarring from prior pneumonia and turned her away eight times over several months. In March 2025, she started coughing up bright red blood, prompting a chest X-ray that revealed a shadow on her...