Relationship between lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Tong Van Hoan - Emergency Medicine Doctor - Emergency Department - Vinmec Danang International Hospital. Doctor with 10 years of experience in the field of Emergency Resuscitation.

1. What is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of diseases that manifest from causes of airway obstruction in the lungs, which is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Emphysema: is a chronic lung disease characterized by damage to the alveoli, where O2 and CO2 exchange occurs. The elastic density of the alveoli leads to air being trapped in the alveoli, affecting gas exchange, and the alveoli expand and break easily, causing damage and scarring. Chronic bronchitis: is a condition characterized by inflammation and scarring of the airways leading to increased airway mucus accumulation, congestion, and re-infection. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cannot be cured, the disease will become more and more severe.

2. What is lung cancer?

The most common lung cancer today is lung carcinoma, which if detected at an early stage can increase survival rates. Lung carcinoma usually develops in the periphery of the lung, slowing the shortness of breath in the early stages of the disease.
The leading cause of lung cancer is smoking, smog due to environmental pollution. Patients often have initial symptoms such as persistent cough, difficulty breathing,... The feeling of shortness of breath of lung cancer is also found in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

3. The link between lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

New research shows that lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are closely linked. The average person breathes 12 breaths per minute, which is more than 700 breaths per hour. . But these two diseases can take your breath away.

Research shows that COPD is a major risk factor for lung cancer. In fact, if a person has COPD, the risk of lung cancer increases by 5 times compared to the normal healthy person over the next 10 years. Or to put it another way: about 50 to 90 percent of people with lung cancer also have COPD.
Why are these two diseases closely related and how can you keep your lungs healthy?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for lung cancer. Removing the cause of smoking, if two people have never smoked, it is certain that the person with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will be more susceptible to lung cancer than the person without COPD. That means, if both smoked the same amount of cigarettes for the same number of years, the person with COPD would be more likely to develop lung cancer than the other.
For people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, symptoms of lung cancer are normal, as both diseases cause a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and repeated lung infections. Therefore, in people who already have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it is difficult to recognize the abnormalities that occur when the disease progresses to lung cancer.
Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there are no guidelines for when to screen for COPD.
In summary, recognizing that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for lung cancer will change the way of protecting public health. To prevent and slow the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, it's important to quit smoking right away and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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