Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a debilitating disease-marked by progressive scarring of the lungs-that gradually interferes with a person's ability to breathe. Pulmonary Fibrosis belongs to a family of approximately 100 related diseases, called interstitial lung diseases, which have similar characteristics and can result in lung scarring. This scarring is most often referred to as pulmonary fibrosis.

Your doctor may have referred to your condition by one of a number of names that are sometimes used to describe Pulmonary Fibrosis. This confusion may be due, in part, to similarities between Pulmonary Fibrosis and the other forms of interstitial lung disease. Only since 2001 has Pulmonary Fibrosis been recognized as a distinct clinical disorder, meaning that specific clinical criteria were developed to determine a diagnosis. Your physician combines clinical information derived from a medical evaluation and certain diagnostic tests to diagnose Pulmonary Fibrosis according to these criteria.

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This section of the CPF Web site is designed to provide useful information to patients newly diagnosed with IPF, as well as those living with the disease, with the goal of helping them and their caregivers better understand and manage this life-threatening condition.

The information and advice contained in or made available on or through the CPF Web site are not intended to replace the advice or services of trained health professionals. You should seek the advice of your physician or healthcare professional in all matters relating to your health, particularly with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition.