Gene-Gene Interaction in Ever Smokers With Lung Cancer: Is There Confounding by Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Genome-Wide Association Studies?

We read with interest the recent article by Zhang et al. 1 Zhang R. Shen S. Wei Y. et al. A large-scale genome-wide gene-gene interaction study of lung cancer susceptibility in Europeans with a trans-ethnic validation in Asians. J Thorac Oncol. 2022; 17: 974-990 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar describing a complex analysis of gene-gene interactions in lung cancer involving several large cohorts. Although we congratulate the authors for advancing this difficult line of research, we are surprised that they have not considered, or even acknowledged, the important effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their analysis or its implications for lung cancer screening. 2 Hopkins R.J. Duan F. Gamble G.D. et al. Chr15q25 genetic variant (rs16969968) independently confers risk of lung cancer, COPD and smoking intensity in a prospective study of high-risk smokers. Thorax. 2021; 76: 272-280 Crossref PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar ,3 Young R.P. Hopkins R.J. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer screening. Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2018; 7: 347-360 Crossref PubMed Scopus (45) Google Scholar Reply to Scott et al: “Gene-Gene interaction in ever-smokers with lung cancer: Is there confounding by COPD in GWAS?”Journal of Thoracic OncologyVol. 18Issue 3PreviewWe appreciate the feedback of Scott et al. on our article,1 and welcome the opportunity to address the important questions raised by them. Full-Text PDF