Emphysema severity associated with higher lung cancer risk

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with more than 1 million deaths annually since 2000

Emphysema is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by damage to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs

Emphysema shares many risk factors with lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide

Smoking is one of the important shared risk factors for emphysema and lung cancer because it increases inflammation, DNA damage and accelerated aging

"Other potential mechanisms, such as genetic susceptibility, chronic inflammation or DNA damage and abnormal repair mechanisms, or a combination thereof, have been proposed to be involved in emphysema and lung cancer," she said

In the new study, Dr.

"Our meta-analysis showed that emphysema is associated with lung cancer not only visually but also quantitatively by CT, and that this risk increases the risk of more severe emphysema," said Dr.

While the findings support a link between the two devastating diseases, more research is needed before any changes can be made to clinical care, Dr.

"It is too early to tell whether CT-defined emphysema conferred an increased independent prognostic value compared with known common risk factors for emphysema and lung cancer," she said

The correlation between CT emphysema and lung cancer was higher on the visual assessment category compared to quantitative assessment

"It is possible that emphysema detected on baseline CT scans could be used to select high-risk participants who require more frequent lung cancer screenings," Dr.

Journal Reference :

1. Xiaofei Yang, Hendrik Joost Wisselink, Rozemarijn Vliegenthart, Marjolein A.