REVIEW  CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE Free access

Minerva Medica 2022 June;113(3):436-48

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4806.22.07962-9

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Evolving concepts in COPD and lung cancer: a narrative review

Fabio PERROTTA ¹, Vito D’AGNANO ¹, Filippo SCIALÒ ^{1, 2}, Klara KOMICI ³, Valentino ALLOCCA ¹, Francesco NUCERA ⁴, Rosario SALVI ⁵, Giulia M. STELLA ⁶, Andrea BIANCO ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania, Naples, Italy; ² CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, SCARL, Naples, Italy; ³ Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy; ⁴ Unit of Pneumology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dentistry and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy; ⁵ Unit of Thoracic Surgery, AO dei Colli, Naples, Italy; ⁶ Unit of Respiratory System Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Foundation IRCCS Polyclinic San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

Lung cancer (LC) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represent leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Common risk factors lead to an increased inflammatory response, enhances oxidative stress, and changes in lung microenvironment contributing to fine-tuned interaction between these respiratory disorders. Despite evidence that COPD represents a main risk factor for LC, assessment of LC risk features among COPD patients is not routinely considered in the clinical practice. In LC patients concurrent COPD may impact on clinical scenario influencing the response to treatment. Better understanding LC and COPD coexistence may impact on clinical scenario influencing therapeutic approach. In this review, we describe the basis of this network and how the complex interplay between these respiratory disorders affects the clinical decision-making process.

KEY WORDS: Lung neoplasms; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Tumor microenvironment