The lungs are an important part of the body, just like every other organ. They are the main source of oxygen to reach our blood. We have two lungs, and they help clear Carbon Dioxide, which is present in the air we breathe.
Lung Cancer and Bronchitis are diseases that affect the lungs.
Key Takeaways
- Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that originates in the lungs, while bronchitis is a respiratory condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
- Symptoms of lung cancer include chest pain, coughing up blood, and difficulty breathing, while bronchitis symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and chest discomfort.
- Lung cancer is treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, while bronchitis is treated with rest, fluids, and medications to relieve symptoms.
Lung Cancer vs Bronchitis
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the lungs when the cells in the lung tissue grow uncontrollably and form a tumour. The tumour can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes. Bronchitis is a respiratory condition that is caused by inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are the air passages that connect the trachea to the lungs.
Lung Cancer is caused by cancer cells. They grow in the lungs and affect the functioning of the lungs.
Lung carcinoma is the other term for lung cancer. These cancer cells present in the lung can furthermore affect the other organs of the body by spreading.
Bronchitis is caused due to the inflammation of the bronchial tubes that are present in the lungs.
This is a communicable disease and can spread through the air when an individual coughs or when they are directly in contact with an infected person. It is also a viral infection in more than ninety per cent of cases.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Lung Cancer | Bronchitis |
|---|---|---|
| No. of people affected in a year | More than one million people are affected each year | More than 10 million people are affected each year |
| Caused by | Cancer cells | Infected Bronchial tubes |
| Symptoms | Coughing with blood, wheezing | Breathing is difficult, dry cough or cough with phlegm |
| Treatments | Depends on the cancer stage, surgery, radiation therapy | Can be cured by self, Narcotics and cough medicine |
| Where it is present | Predominantly present in the lungs and spreads to other organs | Present in the bronchial tubes |
What is Lung Cancer?
Lung Cancer is caused by the cancer cells in the lungs. The most common cause of death by cancer is due to lung cancer. It is also known as lung carcinoma.
Mesenchymal cells and Epithelial cells can cause cancer. Epithelial cells group and form malignant cells.
Mesenchymal cells are formed by the connective tissues.
Cancer can grow and spread to other parts it is called metastasis. Carcinoma is the term for initial lung cancer. Due to tobacco smoking, lung cancer occurs.
And that is why the cigarette packets have warnings of lung cancer on them. Even genetic factors can be the cause of cancer.
Avoiding smoking and not going to places where there is a lot of air pollution can reduce the risk of getting cancer. There are two types of lung cancer.
Mostly eighty-five per cent of people have cancer due to smoking. Only ten to fifteen per cent have cancer which is not caused by smoking.
Lung Cancer can affect not just breathing but also cause rapid weight loss, fever, wheezing, pain in the chest and bones. It is also difficult to swallow food properly.
These cancer cells can spread to the liver, kidneys and even the brain.
What is Bronchitis?
Bronchitis is caused by the inflammation of the bronchi tubes. It can cause coughing, which is either a mucous or dry cough.
This can spread by direct contact with people or the air. There are two types of bronchitis: chronic and acute.
Bronchial tubes are present in the lung.
Tobacco, pollution and dust are the main causes of Bronchitis. Five per cent of the adults and six per cent of the children get this.
Chronic Bronchitis can be there either for three months or for a year. This is a communicable and also an infectious disease.
Antibiotics are not given for this.
Acute bronchitis is caused by a viral infection. If an individual has a cough for ten weeks or more, it can be acute bronchitis.
This cough is also called a smokers cough as it prolongs for a longer period. Smoking should be avoided to get rid of this disease.
Chronic Bronchitis has a cough with phlegm. It can have spotting of blood, yellow or green colour.
Medications and oxygen therapy can help cure this disease. For many centuries this disease has existed.
Main Differences Between Lung Cancer and Bronchitis
- Lung cancer is a disease that is caused by the growth of cancer cells present in the lung of an individual. Bronchitis is a disease that is caused by the Bronchi cells in the Bronchial tube.
- Lung cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can spread to other organs, such as the kidneys and the liver. Bronchitis can only affect the bronchial tubes and not the other organs.
- Lung cancer happens in different stages and the possibility of an individual surviving it is less. Whereas Bronchitis is mostly curable, and the individual can survive it.
- Lung Cancer can have the symptoms of coughing, which have blood, wheezing, and difficulty in chewing food. Bronchitis can have the symptoms of coughing with phlegm.
- Lung cancer is curable through radiation, chemotherapy and medication. Bronchitis is curable through medications
- https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.pathol.1.110304.100103
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmcp061493
Last Updated : 15 August, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
I’ve seen many people struggle with lung cancer and bronchitis, so it’s great to have a clearer understanding of what these diseases are.
The breakdown of symptoms and treatments was incredibly informative. Such a well-written and researched article.
It’s crucial to raise awareness about lung diseases like cancer and bronchitis. Articles like these help educate us all.
This really highlights the importance of maintaining healthy lungs. I’m grateful for the in-depth look into these conditions.
This article does an excellent job of breaking down what lung cancer is, as well as what bronchitis is, into easily digestible terms. The comparison table is especially useful.
It’s quite fascinating how different these two diseases are even though they both affect the lungs. It just goes to show the complexity of the human body.
I agree! The human body is so intricate and it’s interesting to learn how diseases target specific organs.
Great to see the emphasis on prevention such as avoiding smoking and air pollution. Prevention truly is key.
I had no idea that chronic bronchitis lasts for at least 3 months. It’s surprising how many little details there are to learn about these conditions.
The part about the causes of lung cancer was particularly eye-opening. I had no idea that genetics could play a role in it.
I appreciate the clear distinction between the two diseases. This has been beneficial in expanding my knowledge on lung health.
Absolutely, I’ve learned so much from reading this.