Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41932814›Full record

ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2026

Associations between respiratory diseases and lung cancer risk: a secondary analysis of the large-scale prospective UK biobank cohort.

Qiu Zhong, Yi Feng, Xiangyuan Zheng, Ying Deng, Juan He, Jianfu Li, Xinyi Wu, Zixun Wang, Runchen Wang, Ruixiang Sun and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Qiu ZhongDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-1928-3051
Yi FengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xiangyuan ZhengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Ying DengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Juan HeDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jianfu LiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xinyi WuGuangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Zixun WangGuangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Runchen WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Ruixiang SunGuangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Xuanzhuang LuDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Jianxing HeDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1737-8192
Bo ChengDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China liangwh1987@163.com chengbodoctor@163.com.
Wenhua LiangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China liangwh1987@163.com chengbodoctor@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1391-8238

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRespiratory diseases are significant risk factors for lung cancer; however, the association between acute respiratory infections and lung cancer incidence requires further exploration.

methodsWe performed a secondary analysis of the prospective UK Biobank cohort, including participants aged 37-73 years recruited from 22 assessment centres across the UK between 2006 and 2010. Cox proportional hazards models estimated HRs for incident lung cancer according to respiratory disease status, which was defined based on linked hospital inpatient records. Mediation analysis explored potential biomarkers, and Mendelian randomisation assessed causal relationships.

resultsDuring a mean follow-up of 10.44 years (4 790 738 person-years), 2189 participants developed lung cancer. Among 107 007 individuals with respiratory diseases, 1322 cases occurred (incidence rate 27.6 per 10 000 person-years), compared with 867 cases among 351 876 participants without respiratory diseases (7.9 per 10 000 person-years). Overall, respiratory diseases were associated with increased lung cancer risk (HR 2.97, 95% CI 2.75 to 3.21). Acute respiratory infections, including acute nasopharyngitis (HR 3.41; 95% CI 1.83 to 6.34), influenza (HR 3.90; 95% CI 2.53 to 6.01), viral pneumonia (HR 9.86; 95% CI 6.55 to 14.85) and bacterial pneumonia (HR 6.28; 95% CI 4.40 to 8.96), showed strong associations with lung cancer incidence. In subtype analyses, squamous cell carcinoma exhibited the highest risk elevation (HR 3.65; 95% CI 3.06 to 4.36). Mediation analysis indicated that neutrophil counts partially mediated these associations (proportion mediated up to 8%).

conclusionAcute respiratory infections were associated with higher lung cancer incidence, providing hypothesis-generating evidence that may inform future risk stratification research.

Indexed as

Lung NeoplasmsRespiratory Tract InfectionsAdultAgedBiological Specimen BanksFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsProspective StudiesRisk FactorsUK BiobankUnited KingdomBacterial InfectionLung CancerPulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Identifiers

PMID41932814
PMCPMC13052546

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.