Does wearing a face mask put you at higher risk of cancer?
Does wearing a face mask put you at higher risk of cancer?
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Wearing a face mask does not put you at a higher risk of cancer. There is no current evidence linking the use of face masks to cancer, and science shows that any risks associated with wearing masks are low overall, while the benefits are high. Because of how tiny oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are, face masks neither decrease the amount of oxygen that enters a mask nor increase the amount of carbon dioxide that stays in a mask. As a result, face masks do not disrupt the body’s pH levels, affect the bloodstream, or alter one’s body in any way that would put someone at higher risk of cancer. The claim that wearing face masks causes cancer has been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms, citing a January 2021 study that did not study face masks or mask wearing in general. An article from Blacklisted News falsely suggested that mask wearing can lead to reproduction of bacteria, which then leads to cancer. The articled stated that harmful microbes can grow in a moist environment, like the ones created around the mouth and face because of constant mask wearing. The article suggests that microbes can grow and replicate before traveling through the trachea into blood vessels in the lungs. From there, they allege the the microbes cause an inflammatory response. It's true that oral bacteria can contribute to oral infections, dental plaque, and cancer. However, bacteria is also a normal part of our skin and other organs. It can contribute to health in positive and negative ways. The study that linked mask wearing to the development of advanced lung cancer did not involve long-term mask wearing as part of the study. The article that wrote about it falsely assumed that masks could be the cause of this bacteria, rather than its normal presence in the human body and microbiome. There is no evidence that mask wearing can pose a danger to health, including altered carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Bacteria can build up over time in a mask, so they should be cleaned and dried properly. This build up does not cause cancer. The American Lung Association verified that masks cannot cause lung cancer and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that any carbon dioxide build up in masks should not impact people who wear face masks in order to prevent COVID-19 infections and transmission.
Wearing a face mask does not put you at a higher risk of cancer. There is no current evidence linking the use of face masks to cancer, and science shows that any risks associated with wearing masks are low overall, while the benefits are high. Because of how tiny oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are, face masks neither decrease the amount of oxygen that enters a mask nor increase the amount of carbon dioxide that stays in a mask. As a result, face masks do not disrupt the body’s pH levels, affect the bloodstream, or alter one’s body in any way that would put someone at higher risk of cancer. The claim that wearing face masks causes cancer has been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms, citing a January 2021 study that did not study face masks or mask wearing in general. An article from Blacklisted News falsely suggested that mask wearing can lead to reproduction of bacteria, which then leads to cancer. The articled stated that harmful microbes can grow in a moist environment, like the ones created around the mouth and face because of constant mask wearing. The article suggests that microbes can grow and replicate before traveling through the trachea into blood vessels in the lungs. From there, they allege the the microbes cause an inflammatory response. It's true that oral bacteria can contribute to oral infections, dental plaque, and cancer. However, bacteria is also a normal part of our skin and other organs. It can contribute to health in positive and negative ways. The study that linked mask wearing to the development of advanced lung cancer did not involve long-term mask wearing as part of the study. The article that wrote about it falsely assumed that masks could be the cause of this bacteria, rather than its normal presence in the human body and microbiome. There is no evidence that mask wearing can pose a danger to health, including altered carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Bacteria can build up over time in a mask, so they should be cleaned and dried properly. This build up does not cause cancer. The American Lung Association verified that masks cannot cause lung cancer and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that any carbon dioxide build up in masks should not impact people who wear face masks in order to prevent COVID-19 infections and transmission.
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What our experts say
Wearing a face mask does not put you at a higher risk of cancer. There is no current evidence linking the use of face masks to cancer, and science shows that any risks associated with wearing masks are low overall, while the benefits are high.
Because of how tiny oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are, face masks neither decrease the amount of oxygen that enters a mask nor increase the amount of carbon dioxide that stays in a mask. As a result, face masks do not disrupt the body’s pH levels, affect the bloodstream, or alter one’s body in any way that would put someone at higher risk of cancer.
The claim that wearing face masks causes cancer has been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms, citing a January 2021 study that did not study face masks or mask wearing in general. An article from Blacklisted News suggested that mask wearing can lead to reproduction of bacteria, which then leads to cancer.
The articled stated that harmful microbes can grow in a moist environment, like the ones created around the mouth and face because of constant mask wearing. The article suggests that microbes can grow and replicate before traveling through the trachea into blood vessels in the lungs. From there, they allege the the microbes cause an inflammatory response.
It's true that oral bacteria can contribute to oral infections, dental plaque, and cancer. However, bacteria is also a normal part of our skin and other organs. It can contribute to health in positive and negative ways.
The study that linked mask wearing to the development of advanced lung cancer did not involve long-term mask wearing as part of the study. The article that wrote about it falsely assumed that masks could be the cause of this bacteria, rather than its normal presence in the human body and microbiome.
There is no evidence that mask wearing can pose a danger to health, including altered carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Bacteria can build up over time in a mask, so they should be cleaned and dried properly. This build up does not cause cancer.
The American Lung Association verified that masks cannot cause lung cancer and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that any carbon dioxide build up in masks should not impact people who wear face masks in order to prevent COVID-19 infections and transmission.d
Wearing a face mask does not put you at a higher risk of cancer. There is no current evidence linking the use of face masks to cancer, and science shows that any risks associated with wearing masks are low overall, while the benefits are high.
Because of how tiny oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules are, face masks neither decrease the amount of oxygen that enters a mask nor increase the amount of carbon dioxide that stays in a mask. As a result, face masks do not disrupt the body’s pH levels, affect the bloodstream, or alter one’s body in any way that would put someone at higher risk of cancer.
The claim that wearing face masks causes cancer has been circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms, citing a January 2021 study that did not study face masks or mask wearing in general. An article from Blacklisted News suggested that mask wearing can lead to reproduction of bacteria, which then leads to cancer.
The articled stated that harmful microbes can grow in a moist environment, like the ones created around the mouth and face because of constant mask wearing. The article suggests that microbes can grow and replicate before traveling through the trachea into blood vessels in the lungs. From there, they allege the the microbes cause an inflammatory response.
It's true that oral bacteria can contribute to oral infections, dental plaque, and cancer. However, bacteria is also a normal part of our skin and other organs. It can contribute to health in positive and negative ways.
The study that linked mask wearing to the development of advanced lung cancer did not involve long-term mask wearing as part of the study. The article that wrote about it falsely assumed that masks could be the cause of this bacteria, rather than its normal presence in the human body and microbiome.
There is no evidence that mask wearing can pose a danger to health, including altered carbon dioxide and oxygen levels. Bacteria can build up over time in a mask, so they should be cleaned and dried properly. This build up does not cause cancer.
The American Lung Association verified that masks cannot cause lung cancer and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that any carbon dioxide build up in masks should not impact people who wear face masks in order to prevent COVID-19 infections and transmission.d
Context and background
While masks are restrictive and can feel like they impede air flow, properly designed masks do allow for air flow— the tiny size of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules makes it easy for the molecules to travel freely in and out of the mask. The feeling of inconvenience or minor discomfort in a mask does not lead to health risks such as a build up of carbon dioxide. It's true that too much carbon dioxide in the blood (hypercapnia), can lead to high levels of acid in the blood (respiratory acidosis), but both are very unlikely to happen as a result of wearing a properly designed mask or face covering.
Claims that the prolonged use of face masks can cause cancer, oxygen deficiency, dizziness, or other health challenges are not grounded in science. Healthcare workers often wear masks for long hours in the hospital and have been doing so for a long time. There is no evidence that surgical masks or cloth masks cause significant deficiency of oxygen, a build up of carbon dioxide, and other related negative health consequences. This information has been primarily circulating on social media among individuals or communities resistant to mask-wearing in general.
Wearing a mask is recommended to protect people from community transmission of COVID-19. There are only a few exceptions to this public health recommendation, mostly focused on children under 2 years of age and people with serious medical conditions that can make it difficult to breathe through a mask or remove a mask if necessary. Otherwise, wearing a mask is safe and helpful for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
While masks are restrictive and can feel like they impede air flow, properly designed masks do allow for air flow— the tiny size of oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules makes it easy for the molecules to travel freely in and out of the mask. The feeling of inconvenience or minor discomfort in a mask does not lead to health risks such as a build up of carbon dioxide. It's true that too much carbon dioxide in the blood (hypercapnia), can lead to high levels of acid in the blood (respiratory acidosis), but both are very unlikely to happen as a result of wearing a properly designed mask or face covering.
Claims that the prolonged use of face masks can cause cancer, oxygen deficiency, dizziness, or other health challenges are not grounded in science. Healthcare workers often wear masks for long hours in the hospital and have been doing so for a long time. There is no evidence that surgical masks or cloth masks cause significant deficiency of oxygen, a build up of carbon dioxide, and other related negative health consequences. This information has been primarily circulating on social media among individuals or communities resistant to mask-wearing in general.
Wearing a mask is recommended to protect people from community transmission of COVID-19. There are only a few exceptions to this public health recommendation, mostly focused on children under 2 years of age and people with serious medical conditions that can make it difficult to breathe through a mask or remove a mask if necessary. Otherwise, wearing a mask is safe and helpful for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Resources
- Presence of microbes in the lung can modulate lung cancer pathogenesis (AZO Life Sciences)
- Long-Term Mask Use May Contribute to Advanced Stage Lung Cancer, Study Finds (Blacklisted News)
- Fact check: No evidence linking masks to oral bacteria and to lung cancer; article refers to study that did not involve masks (Reuters)
- From the Frontlines: The Truth About Masks and COVID-19 (American Lung Association)
- No, Long-term Face Mask Use Will Not Cause Lung Cancer (Moffitt Cancer Center)
- The Physiological Burden of Prolonged PPE Use on Healthcare Workers during Long Shifts (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Presence of microbes in the lung can modulate lung cancer pathogenesis (AZO Life Sciences)
- Long-Term Mask Use May Contribute to Advanced Stage Lung Cancer, Study Finds (Blacklisted News)
- Fact check: No evidence linking masks to oral bacteria and to lung cancer; article refers to study that did not involve masks (Reuters)
- From the Frontlines: The Truth About Masks and COVID-19 (American Lung Association)
- No, Long-term Face Mask Use Will Not Cause Lung Cancer (Moffitt Cancer Center)
- The Physiological Burden of Prolonged PPE Use on Healthcare Workers during Long Shifts (United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
