Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis associated with rectal carcinoma - A paraneoplastic syndrome or coincidence?

The association between lung cancer and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is well documented, complicating ≥10% of cases involving IPF. This association is considered to be a result of neoplastic degeneration, rather than a paraneoplastic phenomenon. However, rectal carcinoma has only rarely been linked to paraneoplastic manifestations. We describe a young patient with IPF that preceded the appearance of rectal carcinoma by 6 mo. The possible association between the two disorders is discussed.