The ‘Jaws’ of Pulmonary Fibrosis
The recent loss of Jaws author Peter Benchley adds another name to the long list of prominent people affected by pulmonary fibrosis; Academy Award-winning actor Marlon Brando, acclaimed screenwriter Peter Stone, and music producer Sam Phillips. In the United States, over 200,000 individuals are living with the disease. As a consequence of misdiagnosis, the numbers may be significantly higher. Of these, more than 40,000 are lost each year. There is no cure for pulmonary fibrosis and the origin and development of the disease are not completely understood. Some causes include inhaled environmental and occupational pollutants, diseases such as scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and sarcoidosis, certain medications or drugs, and therapeutic radiation. In cases when the cause cannot be identified, the disease is termed “idiopathic.”
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