Pneumoconiosis and silicosis are both occupational diseases. In clinical terms, silicosis is a type of pneumoconiosis. Pneumoconiosis encompasses a wide range of causes. Patients develop the disease due to long-term exposure to dust particles in the environment, such as carbon graphite, dust, silica dust, and other types of cement dust, all of which can cause pneumoconiosis, leading to fibrotic changes in the lungs. Silicosis specifically refers to an occupational disease caused by inhaling free silica, leading to interstitial fibrotic changes in the lungs. Therefore, silicosis is a type of pneumoconiosis, which is a key distinction between them.