COPD and Asthma May Hide Early Lung Cancer Symptoms, Causing Diagnosis Delays: Study Reveals

A recent study in the British Journal of Cancer indicates that patients with specific long-term health conditions might experience delays in receiving a lung cancer diagnosis.

The research emphasizes that chronic conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma can mask early symptoms of lung cancer, resulting in delayed diagnoses.

Comorbid conditions can delay lung cancer diagnosis by either increasing the workload on general practitioners, which limits their ability to promptly investigate cancer ("competing demand conditions"), or by providing a plausible non-cancer explanation for the symptoms ("alternative explanation conditions").

Scientists reported that patients with one or more conditions that could provide "alternative explanations" for their lung cancer symptoms experienced considerable delays in diagnosis.

For instance, individuals with a single "alternative explanation" condition, such as COPD or asthma, were diagnosed with lung cancer an average of 31 days later. Those with two or more such conditions faced even longer delays, averaging 74 days.

COPD was particularly linked to the longest delay, with affected patients being diagnosed 59 days later than those without the condition.

The research team recommends updating clinical guidelines to emphasize that conditions such as COPD can obscure early lung cancer symptoms. They believe that increasing awareness of this issue will help reduce diagnostic delays and enhance patient outcomes.

Reference: Rogers, I., Cooper, M., Memon, A. et al. The effect of comorbidities on diagnostic interval for lung cancer in England: a cohort study using electronic health record data. Br J Cancer (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-024-02824-2