A young teen faces terminal lung cancer after vaping history

A 22-year-old woman from Manchester has been given an estimated 18 months to live after her lung cancer returned and spread, years after she began vaping as a teenager.

Kayley Boda first started vaping at age 15 and initially dismissed early symptoms, including persistent coughing and unusual mucus. 

Her condition escalated when she began coughing up blood, prompting medical tests that revealed a shadow on her lung.

Doctors initially believed cancer was unlikely due to her age and reassured her the risk was low. However, further investigation confirmed she had lung cancer at age 21.

She first received a stage one diagnosis and underwent major surgery to remove half of her right lung. 

During the procedure, doctors discovered the disease had already spread to six lymph nodes, upgrading her condition to stage three. 

She then began chemotherapy, which she described as extremely difficult and physically debilitating.

Following treatment, Boda was briefly declared cancer-free in February 2026. But just one month later, she returned to hospital after developing a pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid around the lungs. 

Further tests revealed the cancer had returned, this time affecting the pleural lining.

Medical specialists later informed her the disease was now terminal, estimating she has around 18 months to live.

“The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients that are 80 years old,” Boda said, adding that while doctors cannot confirm vaping as the direct cause, they told her it did not help her condition.

Boda has since stopped vaping and says she is urging others to quit, including friends and family members. 

She described her earlier mindset as “naive,” saying she never believed something serious could happen to her.

“I haven’t vaped for three months, I’ve made my partner stop, I’ve made my mom stop, I’m urging all my friends to stop,” she said.

Her family has now launched a fundraising campaign to seek treatment in Germany, which they hope may extend her life.