New IPF guidelines limit treatment choices

The new IPF guidelines set a critical framework for the path forward. The international task force that formulated the 2015 update of the clinical practice guidelines for IPF have done tremendous work, moving much further toward answering the kinds of questions that the research and clinical community will not be able to address unless they work together. These guidelines are a critical appraisal of where we are and of the need to push forward.

Dr. Gregory P. Cosgrove

As we push as fast as we can toward more and better treatments, we should be aware that care of IPF patients should be multifaceted, and not just pharmacologic. In order to address the suffering associated with this disease, we need to use all available modalities: supplemental oxygen; physical therapy; and psychological support. We can help patients in so many different ways; lung fibrosis is a heterogeneous disease, and by focusing on how individual patients are affected, we can help meet their needs. The fund of available knowledge has been addressed in an evidence-based fashion. Unfortunately, this is the state of affairs; however, now we can begin to answer the questions that need to be answered.

Dr. Gregory P. Cosgrove is the chief medical officer of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and holds the endowed chair of interstitial lung disease at National Jewish Health in Denver. His comments are summarized from an interview.