The key difference between COPD and lung cancer is that COPD is a lung disease caused due to chronic inflammation that damages lung cells, while lung cancer is a lung disease caused due to DNA mutations in the lung cells.
The term lung disease refers to different types of diseases predominantly affecting the lungs. Some examples of lung diseases are asthma, COPD, and infections like influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung cancer. COPD and lung cancer are two different types among many lung diseases. Moreover, chronic inflammation in COPD can also ultimately lead to lung cancer.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is COPD
3. What is Lung Cancer
4. Similarities – COPD and Lung Cancer
5. COPD vs Lung Cancer in Tabular Form
6. Summary – COPD vs Lung Cancer
What is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) generally refers to a group of diseases, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both chronic bronchitis and emphysema ultimately cause COPD. Chronic bronchitis irritates the bronchial tubes, causing swelling and mucus buildup along the lining. On the other hand, emphysema leads to the breakdown of the walls of the alveoli. Both these conditions cause difficulty in breathing, which finally results in COPD.
The main cause of COPD is smoking, and the other possible causes are Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, second-hand smoking, air pollution, and workplace dust and fumes. The symptoms of COPD are frequent coughing, wheezing, excess phlegm or sputum, shortness of breath, and trouble taking a breath. Moreover, risk factors for COPD include age (over 65), exposure to air pollution, working with chemicals, dust, or fumes, genetic mutations, and many respiratory infections during childhood.
Figure 01: COPD
COPD can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, pulse oximetry, arterial blood gases (ABGs), electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), chest X-ray or chest CT scan, and exercise testing. Furthermore, treatment options for COPD may include bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory medications (steroids), supplementation of oxygen, antibiotics, vaccination, rehabilitation, leukotriene modifiers, expectorants, antihistamines, and antivirals.
What is a Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is a lung disease that is caused due to mutations of DNA in the lung cells. In the US health system, over 200,000 new cases of lung cancer are reported each year. Lung cancer is caused due to gene mutations such as mutations in EGFR or KRAS. The symptoms of lung cancer may include coughing, trouble breathing, chest pain, wheezing, coughing up blood, hoarseness, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, unexplained fatigue or weakness, shoulder pain, swelling in the face, neck, arms, or upper chest, small pupil and drooping eyelid in one eye, and little or no sweating on the side of the drooping eyelid of the face (Horner’s syndrome). Moreover, risk factors for lung cancer include being exposed to second-hand smoking, being exposed to harmful chemicals and substances (air pollution, radon, asbestos, uranium, silica, coal products, etc.), having previous radiation therapy to the chest, and having family history.
Figure 02: Lung Cancer
Lung cancer can be diagnosed through medical history, blood tests, imaging tests (CT scan, PET scan, and X-ray), and biopsy and molecular testing. Furthermore, treatment options for lung cancer may include surgery (lung resection), radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy (angiogenesis inhibitors), immunotherapy, and palliative care.
What are the Similarities Between COPD and Lung Cancer?
- COPD and lung cancer are two different types of lung diseases.
- Chronic inflammation in COPD can also ultimately lead to lung cancer.
- Both diseases may have similar symptoms, such as coughing, trouble breathing, chest pain, etc.
- Both diseases can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging testing.
- They are treated through specific medications and therapies.
What is the Difference Between COPD and Lung Cancer?
COPD is a lung disease caused due to chronic inflammation that damages the lung cells, while lung cancer is a lung disease caused due to the damaged DNA of the lung cells. Thus, this is the key difference between COPD and lung cancer. Furthermore, COPD is triggered by smoking, Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, second-hand smoking, air pollution, workplace dust, and fumes. On the other hand, lung cancer is caused by mutations in EGFR or KRAS genes.
The below infographic presents the differences between COPD and lung cancer in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – COPD vs Lung Cancer
COPD and lung cancer are two different types of lung diseases. Both these diseases may have similar symptoms, such as coughing, trouble breathing, chest pain, etc. COPD is a lung disease occurring due to chronic inflammation that damages the lung cells, while lung cancer is a lung disease occurring due to DNA mutations in the lung cells. So, this summarizes the difference between COPD and lung cancer.
Reference:
1. “COPD: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Lung Cancer: Types, Stages, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “COPD 2010” By National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “LungCACXR” By James Heilman, MD – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia