Wei Quian, PhD, and resident member Jie Sun, PhD, recently published a paper in Cell showing that severe COVID-19 or flu infections can increase the risk for developing lung cancer in the future. By studying the effects of severe infections in mice and through studying patient data, Quian and Sun found that severe lung infections led to a 1.24 times greater incidence of lung cancer.
Excessive, persistent inflammation can cause long-term problems for the body. In this case, infections can trigger an irregular immune response in the neutrophils and macrophages. These immune cells create chronic inflammation, which in turn makes the lungs a more “tumor-friendly” environment.
Fortunately, vaccinations can prime the immune system to respond appropriately, mitigating this cancer promoting behavior. With the global prevalence of COVID-19 and the flu, these results may alter long-term care plans for patients with severe lung infections. These individuals may warrant extra lung cancer screenings, similar to those smokers receive.
Read more about this study in Research in Motion, here.