Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Health Services for Persons with Lung Fibrosis: Discussion

Dr. Killian Hurley:

I will come in on that. Without treatment, the median survival rate is approximately three years for the most severe form. That figure is completely correct. Yet, we are seeing that when patients get on the right treatment, such as through a specialised anti-fibrotic treatment, that figure can be extended by one, two, three or even more years. We have patients in our clinics that are now surviving five, six and up to ten years with the correct anti-fibrotics. These are new treatments, but not every patient is getting them. It depends on whether you are lucky enough to be in a certain area, on where you go and on whether a specialist is able to prescribe those medications. That is not the case across the whole country.

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