Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer (LC) are high-incidence and high-mortality diseases of the respiratory system. COPD is an independent high-risk factor for LC, and the two conditions influence each other, posing challenges for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Early detection and early treatment are crucial for improving prognosis, making preliminary screening particularly important. This article starts from the current research status of COPD-LC, comprehensively introducing the existing screening tools, including low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), the COPD-LUCSS score and its improved version, the COPD-LUCSS-DLCO score, as well as other COPD-LC risk prediction models. By objectively analyzing the advantages and limitations of existing screening tools, this article proposes countermeasures and precautions for developing new screening tools and envisions future application prospects, aiming to provide support for future COPD-LC screening research.
