The relationship between chronic lung diseases and lung cancer - a narrative review

Lung cancer and chronic lung diseases are currently two of the main causes of death in the world. Both conditions have common etiological factors and multiple research directions in the last decades demonstrated the presence of some common relevant biological mechanisms which can explain why patients with chronic respiratory diseases are at higher risk of developing lung cancer. In this review, we discuss the role of chronic pulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, asthma, pneumoconioses, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and their impact on lung cancer development. We also summarize the possible mechanisms involved in this relationship and how these chronic diseases influence the prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Our aim was to inform the clinicians in this respect for a careful follow-up of this category of patients and for the application of a personalized treatment approach.