International Pulmonary Fibrosis Summit Scheduled for November in Nashville
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s 2017 Summit, where pulmonary fibrosis researchers and community members from around the world can share information and experiences, will be Nov. 9-11 in Nashville, the foundation announced.
Summit organizers encourage researchers, physicians, academics, industry leaders, patients and caregivers to take part in the sessions, which will highlight developments in PF research and treatment. The gatherings are held every two years.
“This year’s conference offers our community an extraordinary opportunity to engage directly with leading researchers and physicians,” Gregory P. Cosgrove, MD, the foundation’s chief medical officer, said in a press release. “Our goal is to foster a collaborative environment to improve education and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis and to identify new approaches to treat, and ultimately cure, this disease.”
For the first time, this year’s summit will include sessions for newly diagnosed patients, transplant patients and family members. Sessions will address the genetics of pulmonary fibrosis, stem cell and cell-based therapy, symptom management, tips on living with oxygen therapy, clinical trials, and other topics.
Financial issues, such as Medicare and Medicaid insurance, will be covered in a roundtable discussion.
Other sessions will deal with the promising role of genetics and personalized medicine as pulmonary fibrosis treatments.
Academic and industry researchers are invited to submit abstracts of their work between June 15 and August 1. The abstracts will be available during a welcoming reception on Nov. 9.
The summit will include a three-day continuing medical education and continuing education program for professionals and students specializing in pulmonary fibrosis.
The full program of the conference can be found here.
The summit is the foundation’s fourth biennial international healthcare conference on pulmonary fibrosis. Its goal is to foster a collaborative environment to improve education and awareness about pulmonary fibrosis, and to identify new strategies to treat, and ultimately cure, the disease.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and life-threatening disorder with a poor patient prognosis. The most common type of interstitial lung disease, it is characterized by thick and stiff tissue in the lungs that turns into scar tissue over time. This compromises the proper transport of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream.
