September Proclaimed National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month by Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
Patient organization to rally patients, families, advocates to raise awareness and funding for deadly lung disease
CULVER CITY, Calif., April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today the month of September 2012 will be proclaimed "Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month." In previous years, the CPF has celebrated "National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week" for one week each September, but expanding the time frame to a month will help achieve greater national awareness and fundraising in the race to find treatment and a cure. Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a deadly lung disease that affects at least 128,000 Americans and has no FDA approved treatment and no cure. As many people lose their lives each year to PF as to breast cancer – 40,000.
"It is our goal to expand our reach to communities and cities nationwide by having a grassroots awareness and fundraising effort that will happen the entire month of September," said CPF Chief Executive Officer Mishka Michon. "It is critical that attention is driven to this devastating disease if we are to find answers for our patients."
National PF Awareness Month will include fundraising and awareness building efforts around the country organized by patients, families and partners, as well as a week on Capitol Hill during which advocates will meet with Members of Congress and their staffs. Those meetings focus on the dire need for increased Congressional attention to the disease via their support of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 2505, S. 1350) a bill that currently has 66 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and 13 in the U.S. Senate.
September 23-29 will be PF Week at the American Thoracic Society (ATS), a partner of the CPF. The CPF will participate with the ATS to hold a webinar on PF for patients, families and caregivers as well as professionals and will provide content for a webpage on the ATS website on the subject.
To join the CPF's efforts for National PF Awareness Month, email the organization at [email protected] or visit www.coalitionforpf.org to learn more.
About Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF)
Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring – known as fibrosis – and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 128,000 Americans suffer from PF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. PF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis. Sometimes PF can be linked to a particular cause, such as certain environmental exposures, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, residual infection, or autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis. However, in many instances, no known cause can be established. When this is the case, it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
About the CPF
The CPF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to accelerate research efforts leading to a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), while educating, supporting, and advocating for the community of patients, families, and medical professionals fighting this disease. The CPF funds promising research into new approaches to treat and cure PF; provides patients and families with comprehensive education materials, resources, and hope; serves as a voice for national advocacy of PF issues; and works to improve awareness of PF in the medical community as well as the general public. The PF's nonprofit partners include many of the most respected medical centers and healthcare organizations in the U.S. With more than 24,000 members nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to advocating for those with PF. For more information please visit www.coalitionforpf.org or call (888) 222-8541.
SOURCE Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
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