On the occasion of World Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Week from September 19 to 25, 2016, the Roche laboratory is launching a new information platform on this rare but serious disease, EnsembleContreFPI.fr, according to a laboratory press release. The goal of this awareness campaign: early management of the disease.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is difficult to diagnose due to the similarity of symptoms to other conditions such asasthma (dry cough, shortness of breath) and the obligation to consult several medical specialists to understand each clinical case (radiologist, pulmonologist and histopathologist).
“IPF is a chronic lung disease characterized by a progressive irreversible change in the structure of the lungs. The proliferation of cells producing fibrosis (consisting mainly of collagen) prevents the proper functioning of the lung, the alveoli of which have become rigid and retract, ”explains the Pierre Enjalran FPI (APEFPI) association in a press release.
Publicize idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for better early diagnosis
In France, 4,000 new patients are diagnosed each year. Today, there is no curative treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that makes it possible to cure the pulmonary lesions that have formed. This is why early diagnosis is essential for effective therapeutic management, reduction of disease progression and improvement of patients’ lives.
“It is essential to make this disease known to the general public, but also to doctors, pulmonologists and radiologists. We are fighting for an early diagnosis, carried out as early as possible, in the interest of patients and those around them. Our association carries this message in places where we can reach as many people as possible in France, but also at European level, to raise awareness of this disease and improve its management “recalls Françoise Enjalran, president of the Pierre Enjalran FPI association (APEFPI).
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