biostudies-literatureUnknown9(4)Zhang YJ<h4>Background</h4>Radiological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) featured ground-glass opacities (GGOs), especially in the early stage, which might create confusion in differential diagnosis with early lung cancer. We aimed to specify the radiological characteristics of COVID-19 and early lung cancer and to unveil the discrepancy between them.<h4>Methods</h4>One hundred and fifty-seven COVID-19 patients and 374 early lung cancer patients from four hospitals in China were retrospectively enrolled. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics were compared between the two groups using propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis.<h4>Results</h4>COVID-19 patients had more distinct symptoms, tended to be younger (P<0.0001), male (P<0.0001), and had Translational lung cancer research1516-1527https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7481645biostudies-literatureCOVID-19 and early-stage lung cancer both featuring ground-glass opacities: a propensity score-matched study.PMC7481645Wang CFLi HCZhang WTQin LLu YGuo WXiang JYang QYHan YSun QFLi CQWu HZhang YJJin RSLiu SJJi AQDai JYChen XSZhao FQWang XYZhou MLi JChen KZhang JHDa QFeng XJCao QQHan YCYan FHQu JMZhang XFZheng YYPan ASCao YQYang WJLiu DfalseCOVID-19 and early-stage lung cancer both featuring ground-glass opacities: a propensity score-matched study.<h4>Background</h4>Radiological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) featured ground-glass opacities (GGOs), especially in the early stage, which might create confusion in differential diagnosis with early lung cancer. We aimed to specify the radiological characteristics of COVID-19 and early lung cancer and to unveil the discrepancy between them.<h4>Methods</h4>One hundred and fifty-seven COVID-19 patients and 374 early lung cancer patients from four hospitals in China were retrospectively enrolled. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics were compared between the two groups using propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis.<h4>Results</h4>COVID-19 patients had more distinct symptoms, tended to be younger (P<0.0001), male (P<0.0001), and had 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Aug2025-04-20T03:10:10.991Z2025-04-20T03:10:10.991ZS-EPMC74816453295352310.21037/tlcr-20-892