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Review
. 2024 Aug 13;16(16):2837.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16162837.

Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Diseases

Fotios Drakopanagiotakis  1 , Ekaterina Krauss  2   3 , Ira Michailidou  4 , Vasileios Drosos  5 , Stavros Anevlavis  1 , Andreas Günther  2   3   6   7 , Paschalis Steiropoulos  1
Affiliations
Review

Lung Cancer and Interstitial Lung Diseases

Fotios Drakopanagiotakis et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Lung cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. There is evidence of a complex interplay between lung cancer and interstitial lung disease (ILD), affecting disease progression, management strategies, and patient outcomes. Both conditions develop as the result of common risk factors such as smoking, environmental exposures, and genetic predispositions. The presence of ILD poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in lung cancer management, including difficulties in interpreting radiological findings and increased susceptibility to treatment-related toxicities, such as acute exacerbation of ILD after surgery and pneumonitis after radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Moreover, due to the lack of large, phase III randomized controlled trials, the evidence-based therapeutic options for patients with ILDs and lung cancer remain limited. Antifibrotic treatment may help prevent pulmonary toxicity due to lung cancer treatment, but its effect is still unclear. Emerging diagnostic modalities and biomarkers and optimizing personalized treatment strategies are essential to improve outcomes in this patient population.

Keywords: IPF; interstitial lung disease; lung cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lung cancer in a patient with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. The tumor is located in the right lower lobe (arrows).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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