Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Risk Association

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation, which may involve mechanisms that are also implicated in lung carcinogenesis. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between COPD and the risk of developing lung cancer.

A systematic literature search was conducted from database inception to March 20, 2022 across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Studies were independently screened by two reviewers, and relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and synthesized.

Nine studies were included in the final meta-analysis. A significantly increased risk of lung cancer was observed among individuals with COPD, with a pooled relative risk (RR) of 3.79 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from 3.60 to 3.98. Among individuals with COPD who did not use inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), the relative risk of lung cancer was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.20-1.33). The relative risk for females was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.99-1.05), suggesting no statistically significant difference in lung cancer risk by gender. The meta-analysis identified a moderate but statistically significant association between COPD and an increased risk of lung cancer.

The results of this study are consistent with those of previous studies, further verifying that patients with COPD have a higher risk of lung cancer and providing stronger support for this finding. These findings underscore the need for enhanced surveillance and tailored preventive strategies among individuals diagnosed with COPD. Moving beyond traditional research paradigms to more refined, multidimensional approaches may improve the understanding of the link between COPD and lung cancer.