Respiratory Groups Stress Lung Cancer Risks and Importance of Early Screening and Treatment for World Lung Cancer Day

    On World Lung Cancer Day, August 1, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) stresses the importance of understanding lung cancer risk factors, as well as the importance of early detection through screening and treatment.

    According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide for both men and women. In 2020, there were 2.21 million new lung cancer cases globally and 1.80 million deaths. 

    While smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer, accounting for  85 percent of all cases, other lesser-known risk factors include environmental exposures and genetics.

    Environmental exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, and uranium has been linked to lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer also increases with a history of cancer in another part of the body, age, family history, radiation to the chest area, and lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

    World Lung Cancer Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness for the staggering global impact of this cancer. With one in four cancer deaths attributed to lung cancer, it is of critical importance to promote early detection through symptom awareness and lung cancer screening. Through early detection, treatment can begin, the cancer is less likely to spread, and we can begin to reduce the number of lung cancer deaths worldwide.

    If you currently smoke or have a history of smoking and are 50 years or older, you may be a candidate for a screening low-dose CT scan that can potentially detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.

     Lung cancer symptoms include a persistent and worsening cough, coughing up blood, chest or back pain, and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used to diagnose lung cancer include chest X-rays, Chest CT and PET scans, bronchoscopy, and needle biopsies.

    To learn more about lung cancer screening, visit https://www.iarc.who.int/infographics/benefits-and-harms-of-lung-cancer-screening/

    For tobacco cessation resources, visit https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/tobacco-control.

     

    About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
    The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.

    FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

     

    International Lung Health Organizations Join to Raise Awareness for Bronchiectasis

    On World Bronchiectasis Day, members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) spotlight a lesser-known lung disease.

    JULY 1, 2023 – In support of the second annual World Bronchiectasis Day, July 1, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies is joining the COPD Foundation and several global organizations to raise global awareness, share knowledge, and discuss ways to reduce the burden of bronchiectasis for patients and their families worldwide.

    A lesser-known chronic lung disease, bronchiectasis affects hundreds of thousands of children and adults worldwide. Individuals living with bronchiectasis experience recurring lung infections due to enlarged and scarred airways which make it difficult to clear mucus properly. Symptoms include frequent coughing (often with thick, discolored mucus), sputum production, breathlessness, repeat chest infections, increased tiredness, unexplained fever, chills, sweats and weight loss, and chest pain.[1]

    Although there is currently no cure, detecting and treating bronchiectasis early can improve quality of life and long-term health.

    "World Bronchiectasis Day was started with the intention of raising the profile of bronchiectasis to aid clinicians and patients in more readily recognizing its signs and symptoms,” said Jean Wright, MD, MBA, CEO of the COPD Foundation and World Bronchiectasis Day founding partner.  “I am encouraged by the success of the first global educational campaign, but there is more to be done. Often misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchiectasis worsens over time. An accurate diagnosis is needed to begin treatments to effectively manage the disease.”

    The inaugural World Bronchiectasis Day, July 1, 2022, raised awareness for bronchiectasis by sharing resources including:

     

    “We are proud to support the second annual World Bronchiectasis Day,” says Doreen Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. “Campaigns such as this one incite a global conversation and raise recognition. Through increased awareness, we can do our part to support those living with bronchiectasis and their families worldwide.”

     

     The 6th annual World Bronchiectasis & NTM Conference will take place in New York City on July 18-20. This CME-accredited in-person and livestreaming course will feature the most up-to-date education in bronchiectasis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections including original research presentations and more. Learn more and register to attend the conference.

     

    About World Bronchiectasis Day
    World Bronchiectasis Day, recognized annually on July 1, aims to raise global awareness of bronchiectasis and help those with the disease and others yet to be diagnosed through education, advocacy, and a global conversation focused on reducing the burden of bronchiectasis for patients and their families worldwide. To learn more about bronchiectasis and to support annual World Bronchiectasis Day, visit worldbronchiectasisday.org.

    About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
    The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.

    FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    [1] https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/chronic-respiratory-diseases-bronchiectasis

    On World Asthma Day Respiratory Health Associations Call for Asthma Care for All

    The theme for World Asthma Day 2023 (May 2) is “Asthma care for all”.  The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is calling on health care leaders and policy makers to ensure access to effective, quality-assured medications, especially in low- and middle-income countries. 

    Asthma is a major noncommunicable disease, affecting both children and adults, and is the most common chronic disease among children. Asthma affected an estimated 262 million people in 2019 and caused 455 000 deaths. 1 

    Airway inflammation drives asthma symptoms, including a cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. The focus of asthma treatment is inflammation in the lungs. 

    Most of the burden of asthma morbidity and mortality occurs in low- and middle-income countries, where the disease is often under-diagnosed and under-treated. Essential inhaled medications, particularly those containing inhaled corticosteroids, are often unavailable or unaffordable, and this explains much of the global burden of preventable asthma morbidity and mortality.   

    It is unacceptable that, despite the availability of highly effective therapies, global inequality in asthma care deprives so many children, adolescents and adults of healthy lives and puts them at increased risk of death. A World Health Assembly Resolution on universal access to affordable and effective asthma care is needed to focus attention and investment on addressing this need. 

    World Asthma Day and GINA 

    World Asthma Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) (a FIRS member) a World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.  GINA is working to improve the lives of people with asthma in every corner of the globe.  More about GINA’s global strategy for diagnosis, management, and prevention of asthma and World Asthma Day can be found at www.ginasthma.org. 

    About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) 

    The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally: American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).  

    The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally. 

    For more information about FIRS please contact Fiona Salter This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

     1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma

    FIRS calls for action to prevent young people from taking up smoking

    On World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2023) the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is encouraging policy makers to take steps to prevent young people from taking up smoking.  

    Despite initiatives around the world to reduce the use of tobacco products amongst young people, such as restrictions in marketing and raising the minimum age of sale to 18 years old, smoking is still prevalent amongst those aged 18 and under:

    • The average age to start smoking is 16 years of age. [1]
    • Across EU countries, more than one in six (18%) 15-year-olds reported having smoked cigarettes at least once in the past month in 2018. [2]
    • Data from the US Department of Health suggest that 90% of smokers begin smoking before 18 years of age. [3]
    • The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems has dramatically increased over the past 10 years, particularly among young people. [4]

    The brains of children and adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of nicotine and nicotine addiction. The later an individual begins smoking, the less likely they are to smoke later in life. Smokers are much more likely than non-smokers to develop lung cancer, COPD and other respiratory diseases, it is therefore crucial that we prevent tobacco use in young people to protect them from lifelong addiction and its extensive adverse health effects.

    To protect young people from the dangers of tobacco use, FIRS urges policy makers to adopt Tobacco 21 (T21) policies which raise the minimum age for the sale of tobacco products to 21 years.

    Many countries have already begun to raise the minimum age of sale of tobacco products beyond the 18 years specified by the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC):

    • The USA introduced T21 law first at regional and state level across 19 states from 2003 to 2019, which then became national legislation in 2019. [5]
    • Singapore phased in T21 law, first increasing the age of sale to 20 years in 2020 and then 21 years in 2021. [6]
    • Sri Lanka and Kuwait have raised the age of sale of tobacco products to 21 years. [7, 8]
    • In December 2021, New Zealand introduced a Smokefree 2025 Action Plan to be smoke free by 2025 by banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 2009. [9]

    Studies conducted in the United States suggest that T21 policies have been effective:

    • In Needham, Massachusetts, a greater reduction in past 30-day smoking among adolescents was recorded compared with adolescents in surrounding areas following the implementation of T21 law [10]
    • Smoking rates among 18 to 20-year-olds in US metropolitan areas showed a 1.2% reduction post introduction of T21 laws. [11]
    • Survey data from Cleveland, Ohio reported a reduction in tobacco use among high-school children once T21 legislation was introduced [12]
    • After implementation of T21 law in California in 2016, a purchase survey demonstrated a reduction in tobacco products sales among 15 to 16-year-olds. [13]

    Modelling suggests that increasing the legal age of tobacco products to 21 years will reduce tobacco initiation, particularly in adolescents aged 15–17 years, resulting in fewer tobacco attributable deaths. [14]

    It is estimated that the global yearly death toll as a result of tobacco use is currently 7 million (including exposure to second hand smoke) [15]. As countries move towards ending the use of tobacco products, FIRS urges policy makers to adopt Tobacco 21 policies and reduce the harmful impacts of tobacco products on the global population.

     

    The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally. 

    FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

     

    Webinar: FIRS/GINA global update on asthma and the GINA 2023 strategy

    15 May 2023  16:00- 17:00 CET

    Join experts from the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) for a global update on asthma. We will discuss what’s new in asthma control, the GINA 2023 strategy and how we can address unequal access to asthma management. Register here.

    Our discussion will feature four keynote presentations from world-renowned respiratory professionals, plus an interactive question and answer session.

    The webinar format:

    Introduction from Professor Heather Zar and Professor Arzu Yorgancioglu.

    Presentations

    • Global burden of asthma and changes in the past decade. Professor Refiloe Masekela, Global Asthma Network and GINA
    • GINA 2023 strategy for asthma control in adolescents and adults – what’s new? Professor Helen Reddel, GINA
    • GINA 2023 strategy for asthma control in children and pre-schoolers – what’s new? Professor Paulo Pitrez, GINA
    • Access and affordability to asthma management globally – where are we in 2023?  Dr Sarah Rylance, WHO

    To take part in this live free webinar you must register in advance here.

    For more information: Fiona Salter This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

    About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) 

    The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally: American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).  

    The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally. 

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