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TB, Chronic Bronchitis Tied to Lung Cancer in Never Smokers
TOPLINE:
A history of tuberculosis (TB) and a history of chronic bronchitis were associated with an increased risk for lung cancer in individuals who had never smoked, whereas asthma had a positive, nonsignificant association overall and a significant association in women.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical databases from inception to July 2025, to assess the association between asthma, TB, and/or chronic bronchitis and the risk for lung cancer among participants aged 18 years or older who had never smoked.
- They included data from 20 case-control studies involving 54,135 participants and five cohort studies involving 377,983 participants.
- The primary outcome was the risk for lung cancer among participants with a history of TB, asthma, or chronic bronchitis.
- Participants were labeled as “never smokers” if they were explicitly described in the manuscripts as having “never smoked” or reported smoking < 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
TAKEAWAY:
- In case-control studies, TB (16 studies) and chronic bronchitis (9 studies) were significantly associated with an increased risk for lung cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; P < .001 and OR, 1.36; P = .012, respectively).
- In four case-cohort studies, TB was associated with an increased but nonsignificant risk for lung cancer (hazard ratio, 1.64).
- Eleven case-control studies demonstrated a positive but nonsignificant association between asthma and the risk for lung cancer (OR, 1.34). However, a significant association emerged when analyses were limited to women (five studies; OR, 1.61; P < .01).
IN PRACTICE:
History of TB was especially associated with increased LC [lung cancer] risk, meriting particular attention for prospective CT screening studies,” the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Nishwant Swami, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. It was published online on January 11, 2026, in Chest.
LIMITATIONS:
Most studies lacked uniform adjustment for key confounders, increasing the risk for residual confounding. The inclusion of few cohort studies in the analysis may have limited the assessment of temporality and precision. Additionally, differences in covariate adjustment, variable definitions, and language restrictions may have limited comparability and generalizability.
DISCLOSURES:
No specific funding was reported for this study. One author reported serving as a consultant or advisor for various companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck, and Pfizer. Another author reported receiving funding, in part, through the Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award and through the Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
A history of tuberculosis (TB) and a history of chronic bronchitis were associated with an increased risk for lung cancer in individuals who had never smoked, whereas asthma had a positive, nonsignificant association overall and a significant association in women.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical databases from inception to July 2025, to assess the association between asthma, TB, and/or chronic bronchitis and the risk for lung cancer among participants aged 18 years or older who had never smoked.
- They included data from 20 case-control studies involving 54,135 participants and five cohort studies involving 377,983 participants.
- The primary outcome was the risk for lung cancer among participants with a history of TB, asthma, or chronic bronchitis.
- Participants were labeled as “never smokers” if they were explicitly described in the manuscripts as having “never smoked” or reported smoking < 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
TAKEAWAY:
- In case-control studies, TB (16 studies) and chronic bronchitis (9 studies) were significantly associated with an increased risk for lung cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; P < .001 and OR, 1.36; P = .012, respectively).
- In four case-cohort studies, TB was associated with an increased but nonsignificant risk for lung cancer (hazard ratio, 1.64).
- Eleven case-control studies demonstrated a positive but nonsignificant association between asthma and the risk for lung cancer (OR, 1.34). However, a significant association emerged when analyses were limited to women (five studies; OR, 1.61; P < .01).
IN PRACTICE:
History of TB was especially associated with increased LC [lung cancer] risk, meriting particular attention for prospective CT screening studies,” the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Nishwant Swami, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. It was published online on January 11, 2026, in Chest.
LIMITATIONS:
Most studies lacked uniform adjustment for key confounders, increasing the risk for residual confounding. The inclusion of few cohort studies in the analysis may have limited the assessment of temporality and precision. Additionally, differences in covariate adjustment, variable definitions, and language restrictions may have limited comparability and generalizability.
DISCLOSURES:
No specific funding was reported for this study. One author reported serving as a consultant or advisor for various companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck, and Pfizer. Another author reported receiving funding, in part, through the Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award and through the Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
A history of tuberculosis (TB) and a history of chronic bronchitis were associated with an increased risk for lung cancer in individuals who had never smoked, whereas asthma had a positive, nonsignificant association overall and a significant association in women.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical databases from inception to July 2025, to assess the association between asthma, TB, and/or chronic bronchitis and the risk for lung cancer among participants aged 18 years or older who had never smoked.
- They included data from 20 case-control studies involving 54,135 participants and five cohort studies involving 377,983 participants.
- The primary outcome was the risk for lung cancer among participants with a history of TB, asthma, or chronic bronchitis.
- Participants were labeled as “never smokers” if they were explicitly described in the manuscripts as having “never smoked” or reported smoking < 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
TAKEAWAY:
- In case-control studies, TB (16 studies) and chronic bronchitis (9 studies) were significantly associated with an increased risk for lung cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; P < .001 and OR, 1.36; P = .012, respectively).
- In four case-cohort studies, TB was associated with an increased but nonsignificant risk for lung cancer (hazard ratio, 1.64).
- Eleven case-control studies demonstrated a positive but nonsignificant association between asthma and the risk for lung cancer (OR, 1.34). However, a significant association emerged when analyses were limited to women (five studies; OR, 1.61; P < .01).
IN PRACTICE:
History of TB was especially associated with increased LC [lung cancer] risk, meriting particular attention for prospective CT screening studies,” the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Nishwant Swami, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. It was published online on January 11, 2026, in Chest.
LIMITATIONS:
Most studies lacked uniform adjustment for key confounders, increasing the risk for residual confounding. The inclusion of few cohort studies in the analysis may have limited the assessment of temporality and precision. Additionally, differences in covariate adjustment, variable definitions, and language restrictions may have limited comparability and generalizability.
DISCLOSURES:
No specific funding was reported for this study. One author reported serving as a consultant or advisor for various companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck, and Pfizer. Another author reported receiving funding, in part, through the Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award and through the Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TB, Chronic Bronchitis Tied to Lung Cancer in Never Smokers
TB, Chronic Bronchitis Tied to Lung Cancer in Never Smokers