Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease which involves progressive scarring of the lungs of unknown cause (hence the term idiopathic). The median survival from the time of diagnosis is 2 to 3 years, though the course is variable and many patients deteriorate rapidly.
There is little in the way of effective treatment and no cure other than lung transplantation.
There are excellent resources available to learn about this disease.
For Patients: The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Both resources provide information regarding patient support groups, fund raising, and advocacy.
For Physicians: The CHEST Foundation website includes information for patients and physicians. I have found this helpful in answering many common questions for patients with newly diagnosed IPF. The author is a pulmonologist whose father died from IPF.
In addition, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation conducts numerous activities throughout the year and is a great resource for information about the disease.