22-Year-Old Battling Lung Cancer Given Months to Live- And No, It Wasn't Cigarettes
At 22, the only thing I was concerned with was what my boyfriend, my best friends, and I were going to do that night. But the reality is that many people don't have the privilege of leading a medically carefree life, even at that young age.
Kayley Boda, a 22-year-old from Manchester, UK, is planning what to do with the estimated 18 months she has left to live. Sadly, in April 2026, Boda was given the terrible news that she had a finite amount of time remaining due to a severe case of lung cancer.
It began when she started noticing she was coughing up a "brown substance with grainy bits" in January 2025, according to Fox News. She claims that she was turned away eight times by doctors who dismissed her cancer as a chest infection. But seven grueling biopsies later, Boda finally had her diagnosis.
"They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn't cancer, so not to worry about it," she said, according to the outlet. "When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal."
Despite undergoing surgery to remove a portion of her right lung in February 2026 and initially being given the "all clear," doctors found just this month that the cancer had returned in her pleural lining.
The culprit wasn't cigarettes, as one might imagine; it was actually a daily vaping habit she picked up at the age of 15.
"My symptoms started a few months after I started disposable vapes, and there's no lung cancer in my family," she said. "I haven't vaped for three months. I've made my partner stop, I've made my mom stop, and I'm urging all my friends to stop. Stay off the vapes," she continued, "because they will catch up with you."
Related: This Common Daily Habit Ages Your Heart Faster Than Smoking
Are Cigarettes Worse Than Vaping?
Many people turned to vaping as a cigarette alternative, but the truth is it is no healthier than a cigarette.
According to a 2025 article by Parade, traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes are both conduits for the same harmful, addictive substance: nicotine. The difference lies in the delivery; a metal coil heats the liquid in a vaping device to release the nicotine as an aerosol inhalant, while a cigarette burns tobacco to release nicotine particles.
"The patients I see tell me they smoke because it makes them feel more relaxed," Dr. Humberto Choi, MD, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, told Parade. "They cannot stop because the nicotine addiction is so strong."
E-cigarettes contain other ingredients that raise both blood pressure and heart rate, weaken the immune system, and put users at a higher risk of heart failure. Plus, they contain many toxic ingredients that can cause long-term lung damage, such as propylene glycol (antifreeze) and vegetable glycerin.
"Your lungs are not made to inhale anything other than clean air," says Choi. "Once aerosols from vaping enter your lungs, they activate inflammatory cells and increase the risk of infection."
Now, Boda says she is sharing her story to discourage others from picking up a vape pen.
"The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients who are 80 years old," she said, according to the outlet.
🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 2:21 PM.