Abstract:

Comorbidity of pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer refers to the condition where the same patient is affected by both pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer either simultaneously or sequentially. The occurrence of such comorbidity increases the difficulty in diagnosis and differential diagnosis, easily resulting in missed diagnoses, misdiagnoses, and delayed treatment. There exist complex interactions between lung cancer chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and anti-tuberculosis drugs, which not only impair the efficacy of anti-tuberculosis and anti-tumor treatments but also significantly elevate adverse drug reactions. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop standardized diagnosis and treatment consensus through multidisciplinary collaboration to guide clinical practice. The Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Branch of Chinese Antituberculosis Association and the National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases/Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, in collaboration with Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute and other institutions, have jointly developed the Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of coexistent pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. This consensus elaborates on the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis-lung cancer comorbidity. It also addresses the screening and management of latent tuberculosis infection. Special emphasis is placed on key clinical challenges, such as drug-drug interactions, optimization of treatment regimens, and the appropriate timing of surgery and radiotherapy. The consensus provides 22 specific recommendations to support standardized and evidence-based clinical decision-making.

Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary, Lung neoplasms, Comorbidity, Diagnosis, Therapeutic uses