The impact of the high emergency lung transplantation program in cystic fibrosis in France: insight from a comparison with Canada.

INTRODUCTION: France implemented a high emergency lung transplantation (HELT) program nationally in 2007. A similar program does not exist in Canada. The objectives of our study were to compare health outcomes within France as well as between Canada and France before and after the HELT program in a population with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). METHODS: This population-based cohort study utilised data from the French and Canadian CF registries. A cumulative incidence curve assessed time to transplant with death without transplant as competing risks. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate post-transplant survival. RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2016, there were 1075 (13.0%) people with CF in France and 555 (10.2%) people with CF in Canada who underwent lung transplantation. The proportion of lung transplant increased in France after the HELT program was initiated (4.5% versus 10.1%) whereas deaths pre-transplant decreased from 85.3% in the pre-HELT to 57.1% in the post-HELT period. Between 2008-2016, people in France were significantly more likely to receive a transplant (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.56, 95% CI 1.37-1.77, p<0.001) than die (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.46-0.66, p<0.001) compared to Canada. Post-transplant survival was similar between the countries and there was no difference in survival when comparing pre- and post-HELT period in France. CONCLUSION: Following the implementation of the HELT program, people living with CF in France were more likely to receive a transplant than die. Post-transplant survival in the post-HELT period in France did not change compared to the pre-HELT period, despite potentially sicker patients being transplanted, and is comparable to Canada.