Definition
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer have rising prevalence worldwide with estimates of significant increases in mortality over the next few decades. Both diseases are directly linked to cigarette smoking, environmental exposures and old age, and both cluster in families, suggesting genetic links (Genetic polymorphisms) to disease susceptibility. But irrespective of tobacco history (tobacco carcinogenesis; tobacco-related cancers) and environment, there is growing evidence supporting an increased incidence of lung cancer in individuals with COPD.
Primary lung cancer is usually divided into two broad classes, small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer (tobacco carcinogenesis; cancer causes and control; tobacco-related cancer), which includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma.
Characteristics
COPD
COPD is a chronic disorder characterized by airflow limitation that may be accompanied by hyperreactivity but is...
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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Davis, J.K., Crystal, R.G. (2016). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46875-3_1157
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46875-3_1157
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-46874-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-46875-3
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