3 COMMON RESPIRATORY DISEASES TIED TO LUNG CANCER RISK
Three common respiratory
diseases seem to be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer,
researchers report.
The investigators
analyzed data from seven studies that included more than 25,000 people and
found that chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia were linked with a
greater risk of developing lung cancer.
Having asthma or
tuberculosis was not associated with a higher lung cancer risk, according to
the study published in the Aug. 15 issue of the American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
People who had all three
— chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia — had a higher risk of lung
cancer than those with chronic bronchitis only. There was no increased risk of
lung cancer among those who had chronic bronchitis along with asthma or
tuberculosis, the study found.
In a journal news
release, study author Ann Olsson said the reason respiratory illnesses may
affect lung cancer risk in different ways could have to do with underlying
disease mechanisms.
A better understanding
of the links between respiratory ailments and lung cancer may help inform doctors
on how best to monitor and help patients, said Olsson, of the International
Agency for Research in Cancer in Lyon, France.
Although the study found
an association between certain respiratory diseases and lung cancer risk, it
did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
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