Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed COPD, treatment patterns, and comorbidities in patients undergoing lung cancer evaluation

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer frequently coexist due to shared risk factors, most notably smoking, which is the leading cause of both conditions. Studies suggest that individuals with COPD are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, with rates estimated to be four to six times higher than in the general population. Despite the frequent coexistence of COPD and lung cancer, patients are usually not investigated for COPD as usual care, therefore, COPD often remains underdiagnosed or is diagnosed late, particularly in patients being evaluated for lung cancer. Delayed diagnosis and untreated COPD can negatively affect a patient’s overall prognosis, complicating the management of lung cancer. The aim is to examine the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed COPD, COPD treatment, and comorbidities in patients undergoing work-up for suspected lung cancer. The overall hypothesis is that there are a substantial number of undiagnosed COPD cases among patients with suspected lung cancer.