Smoking and smoking cessation in relation to the development of co-existing non-small cell lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Previous studies have identified a mixed-phenotype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with co-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although NSCLC and COPD share a common risk factor in smoking, whether and how smoking may contribute to the coexistence of NSCLC with COPD (NSCLC-COPD) is unclear. Our study suggests that cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for the development of NSCLC-COPD, especially in females and among patients with squamous cell carcinoma subtype. What's new? Non-small cell lung cancer is often associated with co-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking is a common risk factor for both diseases independently, but here the authors studied how smoking affects the risk to develop the combined disease. They show that ex-smokers and smokers have an ∼5-10-fold higher risk to develop the combined disease as compared to developing cancer alone. Smoking dosage was the most important risk factor for the combined disease, especially in women and among patients with a squamous cell carcinoma subtype, pointing to gender- and cancer subtype specific influences on the combined disease. © 2013 UICC.