Is Tuberculosis a Cancer

Tuberculosis and cancer are both serious diseases and among the most common causes of death worldwide. Cancer causes around 10 million deaths annually, while tuberculosis is responsible for over 1 million fatalities globally. Both diseases may share similar symptoms, affect the lungs, spread to other organs, and may involve intensive treatment over several months or years. Due to these similarities, some readers may ask whether tuberculosis is a form of cancer.Reading this article will clarify the answer to this question, along with informing you about tuberculosis and how it’s treated.

What You Should Know About Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium, more specifically, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It can either be classified as latent or active. In latent tuberculosis, bacteria are present in the body but do not cause symptoms, and the disease is not contagious. While an estimated quarter of the population is affected by latent tuberculosis, only around 5-10% of them develop active TB, which would cause them to spread the disease to others and experience symptoms.

Characteristic symptoms of tuberculosis include the following:

• Persistent cough

• Coughing up blood

• Chest pain

• Fever

• Night sweats

• Fatigue

• Weight loss

Although tuberculosis typically affects the lungs, it can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, pleura, bones, joints, or kidneys. High-risk individuals include those with a weak immune system and people living in crowded areas or regions with high rates of tuberculosis.

Is Tuberculosis a Cancer?

Tuberculosis and cancer can sometimes present similarly, especially in specific forms of cancer, like lung cancer. Overlapping symptoms may include a persistent cough, chest pain, weight loss, and fatigue.

Despite these similarities, tuberculosis isn’t a type of cancer. While tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis as described above, cancer involves body cells that mutate and start multiplying uncontrollably. In doing so, they form tumours that can grow in nearly any part of the body and spread to multiple organs and body parts as metastases.

However, sometimes the parallels between the two diseases can make a precise diagnosis challenging. Therefore, chest X-rays, CT scans, lab tests, or even biopsies are often needed to make the correct diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment method. While tuberculosis isn’t a form of cancer, the damage it causes in the lungs over time may increase a person’s risk of eventually developing lung cancer.

How is Tuberculosis Treated?

In contrast to cancer, which is treated most commonly using surgery, radiation, chemo, and immunotherapy, tuberculosis treatment typically consists of multiple antibiotics combined, such as rifampicin and ethambutol. Active tuberculosis can usually be cured within 6-9 months, and its treatment often involves a combination of four different antibiotics. In contrast, latent tuberculosis requires a shorter treatment time and fewer types of combined medication.

However, it’s crucial to never stop your treatment on your own, as this increases the risk of your infection becoming drug-resistant. Curing drug-resistant tuberculosis is much more challenging and time-consuming, and often takes up to 18-24 months. Additional medications, such as levofloxacin, may also be needed. Following the advice of your healthcare provider helps you stay on track with your treatment, experience fewer side effects, achieve a faster recovery, and prevent recurrence.