ABSTRACT
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at an increased risk for developing primary lung cancer. It is well known that tobacco smoking is a common risk factor in both disease conditions. However, it is worth noting that previous studies have shown that the risk of lung cancer is two- to fivefold greater in smokers with COPD compared with those without COPD. Therefore, early detection of COPD will promptly affect the incidence and outcomes of lung cancer among smokers. The use of careful screening as well as novel imaging and physiological tests (beyond simple spirometry) have been of great aid to help physicians identify smokers with COPD who require regular follow-up and thus the early detection of lung cancer. This chapter discusses the epidemiology of lung cancer among COPD patients and the cross-linking pathophysiological mechanisms between both diseases. It also discusses the role of novel imaging and physiological tools in the early diagnosis of COPD and how this affects lung cancer epidemiology.
