Lung Cancer Patients with IPF and Emphysema at Higher Risk of Flares, Study Says

People with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who also have pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema are at a greater risk of acute flares following cancer treatment that includes chemotherapy, surgery, or radiotherapy, a study from South Korea reports. The study “Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in…

It’s been seven months since my mom, Holly, had a double-lung transplant. She and the miracle organs that have been stitched within her are going strong. But their relationship hasn’t been perfect. My mom’s body and her new lungs each brought their own baggage to the relationship.

After my single-lung transplant in December 2015, I was invited to participate in a panel of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung transplant patients who had previously taken the anti-fibrotic medications Ofev (nintedanib) or Esbriet (pirfenidone). My pulmonologist had asked me to take part in a…

For the third day in a row, I’ve been feeling angry with my body, particularly my lungs. I’ve been experiencing severe breathlessness. While I don’t have signs of a viral or bacterial infection, I’m struggling to hold a conversation because of my need to pause frequently. This level of…

I have spent a lot of time writing about self-care and mental health as a caregiver. Even if the term “self-care” sounds silly to you, I recommend dedicating time every day to your mental health. If for no other reason than to help prevent caregiver burnout.

A positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that recognizes a potential protein biomarker of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases can be used to detect idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and several cancers in PET scans, a pilot clinical study suggests. The research, “Evaluation of integrin αvβ6 cystine knot PET tracers to…