Research Progress of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Complicated with Lung Cancer

Abstract

Context: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive fibrotic interstitial disease with unknown cause and pathogenesis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients are more likely to be concomitant with lung cancer (LC) than normal older smoking men. Currently, there is no unified expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of IPF combined with lung cancer (IPF-LC) patients. Evidence Acquisition: We performed a computerized search of PubMed database with keywords: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis complicated with LC and therapy. Results: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an independent risk factor for LC, and there are similar genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, and signaling pathways between IPF and LC. Acute exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF) poses a significant challenge in the treatment of IPF-LC patients, as surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy may all trigger AE-IPF leading to patient death. The clinical benefits of anti-fibrotic therapy drugs such as nintedanib or combined therapy targeting lung fibrosis and LC are expected to outweigh adverse reactions. Conclusions: Combination therapy may be an effective strategy for treating IPF-LC in the future, and there is an urgent need to develop appropriate preclinical animal models and conduct more clinical studies to find safe and effective new strategies for treating IPF-LC.