What Is the Connection Between Lung Cancer and Emphysema?
Lung cancer and emphysema are two distinct diseases that cause damage to the lungs. Emphysema does not, however, lead to lung cancer. The relationship between these diseases is instead one based upon mutual risk factors, namely smoking. A person with emphysema is ultimately at greater risk of developing lung cancer. This is because smoking complications can extend from lung tissue damage (emphysema) to lung cell damage (cancer). Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease marked by lung tissue destruction and irreversible enlargement of air sacs, or alveoli. Those air sacs deliver oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the blood. Alveoli walls lose elasticity as they grow progressively larger. In effect, they cannot properly fill with fresh air, which leads to breathing impairment. This is one reason why shortness of breath is often a classic symptom of emphysema.
