Khaberni - A recent study has shown that individuals who have recovered from Covid-19, especially those who had severe cases requiring hospitalization, may be at a greater risk of developing lung cancer, with increases up to 24%.
Researchers analyzed health records of approximately 76 million American adults, and found that the increased risk of cancer persisted even after taking into account known factors such as smoking.
Experiments on mice showed that severe respiratory infections, whether from Covid-19 or influenza, could contribute to the accelerated growth of lung tumors, while vaccination against the viruses later helped reduce tumor size.
The study explained that severe lung infections lead to permanent changes in lung cells, including immune cells and airway lining cells; these changes stimulate the production of the G-CSF protein. This protein attracts neutrophils that abnormally accumulate in the lung and suppress anti-tumor immune responses, thereby facilitating the growth of cancer cells post-recovery.
The researchers emphasized that the severity of infection is the most significant factor in increasing cancer risk; mild infections did not show similar effects. The experiments indicated that vaccination protects against long-term complications, including cancer-related effects.
Despite these findings, scientists warn about the limitations of the study, as the human data was based on previous health records without proactive patient follow-up.
It is also not possible to rule out the potential presence of precancerous changes in some patients prior to contracting Covid-19, which may have contributed to the severity of the disease and the subsequent cancer diagnosis.
This study highlights the importance of prevention and vaccination against severe respiratory diseases, and opens the field for more research on the long-term effects of Covid-19 on lung health.
