Progress and challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment of co-existent lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of malignancy-related morbidity and mortality in China and worldwide, posing a significant threat to human well-being. Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading cause of death from a single infectious source, after COVID-19 infection, and represents a public health crisis. Recent research has shown that TB is an independent risk factor for lung cancer, while patients with lung cancer may also be at increased risk of TB. The occurrence of TB poses to a challenge to the implementation of the anti-cancer therapy in lung cancer. Early identification and appropriate treatment are essential for the prognosis improvement. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to highlight the research advances and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and TB co-existence, with the further aim of providing new insights into the clinical management of patients and future research.