Happy World COPD Day today – 16 November 2011!   (Local recognition activity follows….and Bremerton’s Mayor Patty Lent leads the way)  Sorry, I’m running a little late.

In addition – a new lung connection in the newly completed 20-year study found that COPD patients are five times more likely to develop lung cancer than normal lung folks are.  The warning is to offer Spirometry to detect COPD in the early stages to cut cancer and COPD deaths.  The investigative paper gave the shout-out in the prestigious European Respiratory Journal.

“It comes as an exclusive investigation by GP found a lack of PCT investment in the gold standard treatment for COPD is undermining patients’ quality of life and increasing practice workload.

Around one in 100 patients with the chronic disease developed cancer, compared with one in 500 without lung impairment.

Testing the lung function of former and active smokers would identify COPD earlier, thereby improving early detection of lung cancer and improving survival chances, it found.

Lead author Yasuo Sekine, of Tokyo Women’s Medical University, said: ‘The findings from our analysis suggest that early detection of COPD in addition to lung cancer screening for these patients could be an effective detection technique for lung cancer. However, further research is still needed to determine the selection criteria for COPD and lung cancer screening.’

Monica Fletcher, chairperson of the European Lung Foundation, said millions had COPD but it was often undetected.

‘People frequently ignore the symptoms of lung disease and leave it too late before going to the doctor,‘ she said. ‘This research highlights the need for routine lung function tests, known as spirometry, to help improve quality of life and identify other conditions that could be present.’

Professor Klaus Rabe, president of the European Respiratory Society, said ‘On World COPD Day, we would also urge European governments to improve early detection of respiratory diseases, such as COPD.’

Meanwhile, patients’ respiratory associations across Europe said governments must work harder to reduce the £28 billion annual cost of COPD.

Proposals from the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations to reduce this burden include listing COPD as a warning on tobacco products, improving access to spirometry and funding research on how to avoid exacerbations.

http://www.gponline.com/News/article/1104308/detect-copd-cut-cancer-deaths-experts-urge/

The Better Breather’s Respiratory Support Group meets today at Harrison Silverdale -in the Rose room from 1:00pm – 3:00 pm.  Pam O’Flynn will introduce Harrison’s new Respiratory Clinical Practice Educator, Martin Robin.  I know the meeting will be informative and lively no matter the topic and hope to see you there!

http://www.harrisonmedical.org/home/calendar/4903

“We welcome any community member with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and the many more lung diseases affecting our population, pediatric or adult.”

Harrison Silverdale – 1800 NW Myhre Road – Silverdale, WA 98383

Today – at 5:30 pm – Bremerton’s Mayor Patty Lent makes COPD, Kitsap County and Washington State history.  She is the first mayor in Washington State to present Governor Christine Gregoire’s Proclamation declaring November 2011 State COPD Month, to my knowledge.  Her generosity in recognizing the 3^rd leading cause of death in the US is precious by recognizing today, 16 November 2011 as World COPD Day!

District 3, Manette’s hard working effective and beneficial city council member, Adam Brockus will present the Proclamation to Karma Foley of Seabeck who lost both parents to COPD.  Karma’s mom had the inherited type of COPD and with her oxygen tank, went out of her way to help me with several COPD/EFFORTS public meetings we put together a few years ago.

This COPD  historic event happens at 5:30 pm in the Norm Dicks Government Building city council chambers.  I will be taking pictures for y’all and trying not to let my eyes leak. Thank you!

I will ride a recumbent trike from Evergreen Park to the NDGB or walk it instead…very cold and wet out there.

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara