• Emphysema severity associated with highe

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Tue May 3 22:30:40 2022
    Emphysema severity associated with higher lung cancer risk

    Date:
    May 3, 2022
    Source:
    Radiological Society of North America
    Summary:
    CT-detected emphysema is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer,
    a risk that increases with emphysema severity, according to a
    new study.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== CT-detected emphysema is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer, a
    risk that increases with emphysema severity, according to a new study
    published in the journal Radiology.


    ==========================================================================
    Lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related death worldwide,
    with more than 1 million deaths each year since 2000. However, lung
    cancer risk can be reduced by identifying treatable risk factors, such
    as chronic lung inflammation, together with smoking, genetics, diet,
    and occupational exposure.

    Emphysema is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by damage to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs inside the lungs. Symptoms include shortness
    of breath, coughing with mucus, wheezing and chest tightness. There is
    no cure, but many treatments are available to help manage symptoms.

    Emphysema shares many common risk factors with lung cancer, the leading
    cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

    Cigarette smoking is one of the important shared risk factors of emphysema
    and lung cancer, as it enhances inflammation, DNA damage and accelerated
    aging.

    However, people with emphysema who've never smoked also have an increased
    risk of lung cancer, according to study co-author Marleen Vonder, Ph.D.,
    from the Department of Epidemiology at University Medical Center Groningen
    in Groningen, the Netherlands.

    "Other underlying mechanisms like genetic susceptibility, chronic
    inflammation or DNA damage and abnormal repair mechanisms, or a
    combination thereof, have been proposed to link emphysema and lung
    cancer," she said.

    For the new study, Dr. Vonder and colleagues identified studies from
    three large databases on the association between emphysema and lung
    cancer. Analysis of 21 studies involving more than 107,000 patients
    found a connection between visual and quantitative, or measurable,
    CT assessments of emphysema and lung cancer.

    "Our meta-analysis showed that not only visually assessed but also quantitatively assessed emphysema on CT is associated with lung cancer
    and that this risk increases for more severe emphysema," Dr. Vonder said.

    While the findings support a link between the two devastating diseases,
    more research is needed before any changes are made to clinical care,
    Dr. Vonder said.

    "It is too early to conclude whether the presence of CT-defined emphysema
    leads to incremental and independent prognostic value over that of
    already known shared risk factors of emphysema and lung cancer," she said.

    The associations between CT emphysema and lung cancer were higher
    for categories of visual assessment compared to quantitative
    assessment. Despite this finding, Dr. Vonder said that quantitative
    assessment may ultimately gain favor over visual assessment, as it can
    be fully automated. She and her colleagues are researching this approach
    and validating its use in specified populations.

    "Potentially, emphysema detected on a baseline CT scan could be used to
    select high-risk participants who would require more frequent follow-up
    lung cancer screening," Dr. Vonder said.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
    Radiological_Society_of_North_America. Note: Content may be edited for
    style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Xiaofei Yang, Hendrik Joost Wisselink, Rozemarijn Vliegenthart,
    Marjolein
    A. Heuvelmans, Harry J. M. Groen, Marleen Vonder, Monique
    D. Dorrius, Geertruida H. de Bock. Association between Chest
    CT-defined Emphysema and Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and
    Meta-Analysis. Radiology, 2022; DOI: 10.1148/radiol.212904 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503102847.htm

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