title: Lung cancer in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients diagnosed during or after lung transplantation.
abstract: Lung transplantation is an accepted therapy for patients with end-stage lung disease and offers a major survival benefit in selected patients. The most important indications are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis besides cystic fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The incidence of lung cancer in patients after Ltx is 20-25 times higher than in the general population. Diagnosis is often difficult in IPF patients because of the diffuse lung abnormalities due to the underlying fibrosis. Moreover, the lung cancer may mimic a pulmonary infection. Symptoms are often aspecific, diagnosis is difficult, and prognosis is extremely poor. We describe three patients who were transplanted for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and who developed a primary lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Atrium Medical Centre Parkstad, H. Dunantstraat 5, 6401 CX Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L E L
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.affiliation: Maastricht University, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Universiteitssingel 40, Room 4.550, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands ; Ild care consultancy, PO Box 3100, 6202 BC Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drent
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Atrium Medical Centre Parkstad, H. Dunantstraat 5, 6401 CX Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E H J
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: van Haren
authors.affiliation: Ild care consultancy, PO Box 3100, 6202 BC Maastricht, The Netherlands ; Department of Radiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Verschakelen
authors.affiliation: Department of Lung Transplantation, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Verleden
keywords: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Lung cancer; Lung transplantation