What is Cystic Fibrosis or “CF”?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, chronic and life-limiting genetic disease. It is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, sinuses, sweat glands and reproductive tract. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and inflammation, resulting in progressive lung damage in many people and eventually leads to death. Other long-term complications can include malabsorption and failure to thrive due to pancreas disease, diabetes, liver disease, bone disease or osteoporosis, depression and anxiety.

Although enormous strides have been made in recent years in therapeutic treatments, there is still no known cure for CF.

What does it mean
to have CF?

People with CF require a combination of treatments that address problems in their lungs, digestive system and sinuses. They are living longer thanks to early diagnosis through newborn screening and improved care. There is still a significant burden for people with this disease and their families, including expensive time consuming treatments, regular monitoring, and frequent visits to a hospital or CF care center.