Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) frequently appears alongside lung cancer, creating challenges for treatment planning. During the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2026 International Congress in Barcelona, medical professionals stressed that care decisions should prioritize patient preferences over clinical measurements.
Laura Fabbri, MD, from Imperial College London, explained that the dual diagnosis forces doctors to weigh medical evidence against personal patient goals. “One is select caliber for the specific person. Do you want a treatment? Do you think this will benefit you, or are you worried or a bit scared about the possible consequences or complications of it?” she said. “The second part, if you move a bit more into a broader scale, is the fact that we should incorporate more of what the patient desires or wishes.”
Many clinical studies focus on measurable results such as forced vital capacity (FVC), but these metrics may not reflect a patient’s true priorities. Yet this example further supports the need for shared decision-making, as some trials fail to meet their primary outcome, like forced vital capacity (FVC), even though that outcome may not necessarily matter to the patients. “Maybe that person doesn’t really care about an FVC; they just want to make sure now that his quality of life is still preserved,” she said.
Patients with IPF often receive less structured support compared to cancer patients, who typically have strong family and community networks. Fabbri noted this difference might unexpectedly benefit IPF patients by creating new care opportunities. “I wouldn’t say that the new diagnoses add an extra burden to them just because there is less support with that,” she explained. “And maybe actually may empower them or may open to them some pathways that before were not available, regardless of psychological support specifically.”
For those living with IPF, treatment discussions extend beyond survival—they involve how patients wish to live. Studies centered only on FVC gains may overlook broader patient concerns. Fabbri’s research demonstrates that in treating complex conditions, a patient’s perspective should drive decisions rather than data alone.
ERS attendees also emphasized the importance of including patient-reported outcomes in future trials. Fabbri’s findings suggest that when clinicians engage deeply with patients, treatment plans become more relevant, and more compassionate.
