This is the time for thanks. Not only because Thanksgiving is on the horizon, but also because it is important sometimes to just sit back, take stock of our life, and give thanks for what each of us have. I am not saying everything is perfect. Hardly. We all have something (or many somethings) that cause us difficulty – whether it is physical, emotional, mental, social, financial, educational, or professional. But when we take stock, most of us see that we have a lot more things to be thankful for than we thought.
Besides my family and the absolutely incredible team I work with at Breathe SoCal, I am also thankful for the rain. The rain? Yes, absolutely.
While the rain may make it more difficult to drive in Southern California or may require us to postpone favorite outdoor activities, the rain is critical for our health. The rain keeps the ground and vegetation wet, and the air moist. That makes it more difficult for small sparks to grow into major wildfires. Rain also means our lungs get a break from inhaling dirty air. Rainy days clear away the smog, haze, pollen, and other particles in the air that accumulate in the Southern California basin when the weather is sunny.
So, I am grateful for the rain, because the rain clears the air for our vital, precious lungs. November is not only a good month to take stock of our lives, but also a good month to take stock of our lungs. November is both Lung Cancer Awareness Month and COPD Awareness Month. This means we need to consider the health of our lungs and the lungs of our loved ones.
Lung cancer is the second most-common cancer for both men and women in the U.S. but is by far the leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 20% of all cancer deaths. Despite this, fewer than 1% of those at risk of getting lung cancer in California are being screened. Meanwhile, approximately 15.7 million Americans have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it’s estimated that this is only half of the total number of people who actually have the disease. While COPD has no cure, when caught early it is highly treatable. However, many people find it challenging to seek treatment due to stigma, lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis, treatment access issues, or significant gaps in research and data collection. What most people don’t realize is that COPD ranks as the fourth leading disease-related cause of death in the US, and the third leading cause of death globally.
Most people are shocked when they learn that more people die each year from COPD than from Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes, and more people die from COPD each year than from chronic kidney disease and chronic liver disease combined. But the amount of funding directed to COPD research is dwarfed by research funding for these other diseases.
Last month, the COPD Action Alliance, a coalition of Breathe Southern California and 29 other organizations across the nation, released a white paper explaining the burden that COPD poses. After its release, I called on federal policymakers to recognize COPD as a public health crisis in America.
More awareness, and widespread screening for both COPD and lung cancer could increase the lifespan for those with either of these debilitating diseases. It goes without saying that more must be done to make early diagnosis of COPD and other lung diseases a priority. Too often people get an annual physical, and their provider checks their cardiovascular health but not their lung health.
Fortunately, thanks to funding from our partners at AstraZeneca, Breathe Southern California is working to create and facilitate a broad-based advocacy coalition focused on lung health issues.
By bringing together a broad group of like-minded organizations and partners, we will be able to serve as a critical resource and unified voice for all things related to lung health. Our goals include advocating for policies that focus on early testing and treatment for COPD and lung cancer, while also continuing our efforts addressing wildfire smoke mitigation and preparedness. We look forward to serving as a resource to policymakers in Sacramento, given the strong need to address the health of our lungs across our state.
Now that’s something, in the face of these diseases, to be grateful for…That and your unwavering support for our mission dedicated to achieving clean air and healthy lungs for us all.
We are so very thankful for our communities we get to serve and our partners, sponsors and donors that help make that happen. Together, we will make progress. I’m sure of it.
In health,
Marc Carrel
CEO, President
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