Q: My aunt is 45 years old. She has an interstitial lung disease (may be sarcoidosis) for the past one year. Currently she is on steroids, but she has developed side effects like swelling on the face and the arms. The doctor has recommended cyclophosphamide but she hasn't started it yet. Is there any definitive treatment for this? Will lung transplantation help?

A:Sarcoidosis sometimes stabilizes and may even regress without causing too much lung damage. Steroids can help in progressive disease but side effects are a problem. Cyclophosphamide rarely helps and is toxic. Transplants have been done with some success in carefully selected cases. However this is usually not an option. The resulting outcome of progressive disease can therefore be grim.