Our data establish the causal link of respiratory viral infection with subsequent lung cancer development for the first time. This work highlights the urgent need to close monitor COVID-19 survivors for elevated lung cancer risk and develop targeted interventions.

Importantly, our study shows that vaccination can mitigate this enhanced cancer growth by preventing severe disease. This underscores the power of vaccines in preventing not only acute illness but also serious long-term consequences including lung cancer.

Mechanistically, we found that viral pneumonia epigenetically reprograms the lung, creating a pro-tumor environment driven by immunosuppressive neutrophils. These cells suppress anti-tumor immunity and are linked to poor survival in lung cancer patients.

Our clinical data shows that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a significantly higher risk of a new lung cancer diagnosis in the following years. This increased risk was not seen in overall cancer types.