Jake Reid, a stonemason from Australia, initially attributed his increasing breathlessness and fatigue to being out of shape. However, following rising awareness of a deadly lung disease linked to engineered stone work, Reid underwent lung tests that revealed a severe diagnosis: silicosis with progressive massive fibrosis, a form of advanced lung scarring. At just 30 years old, he was told his lungs resembled those of an 80-year-old and was given an estimated life expectancy of five to ten years.

Reid’s case underscores a growing public health concern highlighted in a new report released in Canberra on Wednesday, which documents the rising incidence and burden of pulmonary fibrosis—commonly known as lung scarring—in Australia. The report estimates that nearly 22,000 Australians currently live with irreversible and progressive lung scarring, a figure significantly higher than previous estimates.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and fatal condition characterized by the gradual stiffening of lung tissue. This leads to progressive breathlessness, reduced lung function, disability, and in many cases, death. The disease has a mortality rate surpassing that of lung cancer and parallels the death rate of prostate cancer. Nearly half of all diagnosed individuals succumb to the disease within five years.

The newly released study points to workplace exposure as a major contributing factor in approximately 20 percent of cases. Hazardous materials such as engineered stone—a product now banned in Australia due to its association with silicosis—as well as pesticides, industrial vapours, and chemicals encountered across mining, farming, construction, and even hairdressing industries, have been identified as common causes. In 2025 alone, around 1,600 Australians were diagnosed with lung scarring linked to occupational exposure, and projections suggest that by 2030, close to 1,000 deaths annually will be attributable to work-related lung fibrosis.

Mark Brooke, CEO of the Lung Foundation, emphasized the condition’s low profile despite its growing prevalence and severity. “This condition continues to sort of fly underneath the radar,” he said, highlighting the need for increased public and clinical awareness to promote earlier diagnosis and intervention.

Historically, late diagnosis has limited treatment options, leaving many patients with little hope. However, advances in therapy, including antifibrotic drugs, have shown effectiveness in slowing disease progression for some patients. Reid, now 37, credits such treatments with slowing his condition’s advancement, though he expressed frustration that these options were not presented at the time of his initial diagnosis.

Professor Dan Chambers, a leading Australian lung fibrosis specialist who oversees Reid’s care, noted that many patients remain undiagnosed or are diagnosed too late to benefit fully from treatments. “Lung lost is lung never regained,” he stated, underscoring the importance of early detection and intervention.

The report also estimates the national economic burden of pulmonary fibrosis at $4.5 billion annually, reflecting not only medical costs but also loss of productivity and quality of life.

This emerging evidence calls for heightened vigilance across industries and healthcare settings to identify and manage pulmonary fibrosis early, potentially improving outcomes for thousands of Australians affected by this often fatal but under-recognized disease.