Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United
States and worldwide. They share a common environmental risk factor in cigarette smoke exposure and a genetic predisposition
represented by the incidence of these diseases in only a fraction of smokers. The presence of COPD increases the risk of
lung cancer up to 4.5-fold. To investigate commonalities in disease mechanisms and perspectives for disease chemoprevention,
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) held a workshop.