Impact of antifibrotic therapy on lung cancer development in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Hyogo Naoi, Yuzo Suzuki, Kazutaka Mori, Yuya Aono, Masato Kono, Hirotsugu Hasegawa, Koshi Yokomura, Yusuke Inoue, Hironao Hozumi, Masato Karayama, Kazuki Furuhashi, Noriyuki Enomoto, Tomoyuki Fujisawa, Yutaro Nakamura, Naoki Inui, Hidenori Nakamura, Takafumi Suda
Abstract
Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are at a high risk of lung cancer (LC). Antifibrotic therapy slows disease progression and possibly prolongs survival. However, whether antifibrotic therapy affects LC development in patients with IPF remains unknown. This multicentre retrospective study evaluated 345 patients with IPF. The incidence and prevalence of LC were significantly lower in patients with IPF receiving antifibrotic therapy than those not receiving. Subsequently, LC-related mortality was significantly lower in patients with IPF receiving antifibrotic therapy. These results suggest that antifibrotic therapy was possibly associated with a reduced risk of LC development in patients with IPF, which may be partly associated with its survival benefit.