- A scientific review examining vaping and cancer risk has been formally retracted by its journal.
- Editors said “substantial concerns were raised regarding the methodological integrity, accuracy, and scientific validity of the review.”
- The investigation identified “multiple serious flaws that materially affect the reliability of the findings and conclusions.”
- The editor concluded the article “does not meet the standards of scientific accuracy and reliability required for publication.”
A scientific paper examining whether vaping may increase the risk of cancer has been formally retracted after editors identified serious methodological problems.
The study, titled ‘Evidence on vaping e-cigarettes as a risk factor for cancer: A systematic review’, was published in the Journal of Cancer Policy before being withdrawn by the journal’s editor-in-chief.
According to the journal’s retraction notice, the decision followed an investigation into the paper’s research methods and conclusions.
Editors said: “Following publication, substantial concerns were raised regarding the methodological integrity, accuracy, and scientific validity of the review.”
A subsequent evaluation identified “multiple serious flaws that materially affect the reliability of the findings and conclusions.”
Problems with methodology and data
The retraction notice lists several issues that undermined confidence in the paper’s analysis. Among the problems identified were “undisclosed deviations from the registered and published protocol,” including changes to eligibility criteria, study designs and comparator groups that were not transparently reported.
Editors also flagged “inconsistencies between the reported search strategy and the studies ultimately included,”which they said undermined the reproducibility and traceability of the research.
Further concerns included “misclassification of study designs, including the categorisation of biomarker and cross-sectional studies as cancer incidence studies.”
The evaluation also found the paper included “a study that had previously been retracted,” while reporting “internal contradictions and numerical discrepancies in reported study counts, sample sizes, and outcome data.”
Conclusions judged unreliable
Because of these issues, the journal concluded that the findings could not be relied upon.
The retraction notice states that “conclusions that are not supported by the heterogenous and methodologically limited evidence presented” were also identified in the paper.
Editors said the scale of the problems ultimately meant the analysis could not stand. The notice states: “Collectively, these issues compromise the transparency, coherence, and scientific rigor of the review.”
It adds that “the extent and nature of the errors prevent confidence in the validity of the analyses and conclusions.”
Authors did not respond
According to the journal, the editor contacted the authors to request an explanation. However, the retraction notice says the researchers did not reply within the allotted timeframe.
It states: “Although the authors were given an opportunity to respond to the concerns within the allotted timeframe, they did not submit a reply.”
As a result, the editor-in-chief decided the article could no longer remain in the scientific record. The journal concluded the paper “does not meet the standards of scientific accuracy and reliability required for publication and must therefore be retracted.”
Journal apologises to readers
The publisher also acknowledged that the problems had not been detected during peer review.
The notice states: “Apologies are offered to the readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission and publication process.”
The retraction highlights the importance of methodological transparency and rigorous review in studies examining the health effects of nicotine products.
Another vaping study recently withdrawn
Study linking vaping to stroke withdrawn in January
The retraction also follows another high-profile vaping paper that was withdrawn earlier this year.
In January, a 2022 study linking vaping to stroke was retracted after the journal identified “several major errors in the data analysis.”
According to the report, reviewers found problems including “impossible sample sizes,” uncertainty over whether vaping occurred before stroke, and extremely small numbers of stroke cases among people who used vapes.
The decision removed a widely cited claim that vaping increased stroke risk and highlighted the importance of rigorous analysis in research on nicotine products.
