{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T01:46:44Z","timestamp":1782784004986,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]],"date-time":"2026-06-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782691200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Tuberculosis-related pulmonary changes may overlap radiologically and clinically with lung cancer, complicating diagnostic interpretation, staging, and therapeutic planning. This study evaluated the relationship between tuberculosis status, thoracic imaging patterns, and clinical characteristics in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between February 2020 and December 2025 at the Clinical Pneumophtisiology Hospital, Constan\u021ba, Romania. A total of 620 patients with lung cancer were analyzed. Patients were classified into three groups: no tuberculosis, post-tuberculosis sequelae, and active tuberculosis. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, histopathological, functional, and radiological variables were assessed. Associations between tuberculosis status and imaging findings were evaluated using chi-square testing, effect-size analysis, and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Post-tuberculosis sequelae were identified in 337 patients (54.4%), active tuberculosis in 51 patients (8.2%), and no tuberculosis-related disease in 232 patients (37.4%). Adenocarcinoma was the most frequent histological type, occurring in 359 patients (57.9%). Significant associations with tuberculosis status were observed for fibrotic\/interstitial or bronchial changes, infectious-inflammatory changes, cavitary\/destructive lesions, atelectatic\/retractile changes, pulmonary opacities, pleural involvement, and mediastinal\/hilar adenopathy. The strongest effects were found for fibrotic\/interstitial changes, infectious-inflammatory changes, and cavitary\/destructive lesions. In regression analysis, active tuberculosis was most strongly associated with infectious-inflammatory changes, cavitary lesions, pulmonary opacities, and fibrotic abnormalities, while post-tuberculosis sequelae were mainly associated with chronic fibrotic and structural pulmonary changes. Conclusions: Tuberculosis-related abnormalities frequently coexist with lung cancer and may mimic or obscure malignant findings. Recognition of these overlapping patterns is essential for accurate radiological interpretation and individualized clinical management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15135063","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T00:55:11Z","timestamp":1782780911000},"page":"5063","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Post-Tuberculosis Sequelae and Active Tuberculosis in Lung Cancer: Imaging Patterns and Clinical Associations\u2014A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2896-6352","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Cioti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, \u201cSf. Apostol Andrei\u201d Emergency County Hospital, 145 Tomis Blvd., 900591 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"School of Medicine, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Tocia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nejla","family":"Dervis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioan Anton","family":"Arghir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pneumology, Municipal Hostpital, 820195 Tulcea, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Buligan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Boulevard, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gabriela","family":"Fricatel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Oncology Department, \u201cSf. Apostol Andrei\u201d Emergency County Hospital, 145 Tomis Blvd., 900591 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mihaela","family":"Pundiche","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Disciplines, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9844-8521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oana Cristina","family":"Arghir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, \u201cOvidius\u201d University of Constanta, 1 University Street, 900470 Constanta, Romania"},{"name":"Clinical Pneumology, Hospital of Constanta, 40 Sentinelei Str., 900002 Constanta, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"e70213","article-title":"Coexisting Lung Cancer and Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Comprehensive Review from Incidence to Management","volume":"8","author":"Zhou","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cancer Rep."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.2174\/0118715303301146240522095638","article-title":"Deciphering the Correlation between the Emergence of Lung Carcinoma Associated with Tuberculosis-related Inflammation","volume":"25","author":"Chauhan","year":"2025","journal-title":"Endocr. 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