Register now and come and join 9000 scientists, researchers, doctors and experts from all over the world, who are meeting in Geneva (Switzerland) from 19 to 23 September 1998 for the 8th annual congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS).

The issues raised at this year's congress are particularly hot and topical. They include new theories concerning the alarming spread of asthma in industrialised countries, recent spectacular evidence of the consequences of atmospheric pollution on respiratory disorders, and new hopes, diagnoses and therapies for lung cancer. All these and more will provide plenty of material for some exciting stories that will keep your readers up to date with the latest developments in respiratory medicine.

As the ERS President, Professor Charis Roussos of Greece, likes to say: "The state of our environment is a growing concern in our time. Despite new laws limiting air pollution and despite technological advances, the quality of the air we breathe in our towns is an increasing threat to our health". It is hardly surprising, then, if the Geneva congress has given this issue the priority it deserves. One topic of special interest will be the exhaust fumes of diesel engines and their harmful effects on man. The diesel engine has traditionally enjoyed the reputation of being clean, because it produces less nitrogen monoxide and dioxide than a petrol-driven engine. In recent years, however, many studies have shown that it is just as dangerous for human health as the petrol engine, if not more, as will be demonstrated by the results of a new experiment, that will be made public for the first time at the 8th. ERS congress.

The experts meeting in Geneva will also be discussing the findings of several epidemiological studies, which all point to an alarming association between air pollution and the increase of some common respiratory disorders such as asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, i.e. chiefly chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema).

The ERS congress will be focusing on these respiratory disorders in particular because they are becoming a major public health problem. COPD is now in fact considered to be the fourth cause of death in western countries. Asthma, which affects over 130 million people in the world, leading to 60.000 deaths each year in the industrialised countries, has also been spreading at an alarming rate.

This is why the latest discoveries that the researchers and doctors will be reporting in Geneva are so eagerly awaited, including such aspects as detection of the diseases, treatment and possible future vaccines to prevent asthma.

On COPDs, British, Spanish and American specialists will be presenting their latest findings, which highlight the role played by some inflammatory cells and chemical oxidizing agents.

Lung cancer, which causes over a million deaths in the world each year, will also be one of the key issues debated at the 8th. ERS annual congress. A whole series of crucial questions related to this disease will be debated, such as: what are the risk factors? What sort of surgery is best? Is it worth treating small tumours or not?

Basic research will not be forgotten in Geneva. A whole symposium, for instance, will be devoted to the latest discoveries concerning apoptosis, or programmed cell death. According to researchers, there is increasing evidence that aberrations affecting the regulation of this "cellular suicide" might play an important role in several serious respiratory disorders, such as asthma, and in the development of certain tumours. British, Australian, Italian and Swiss researchers will also be presenting their latest models of transgenic mice for the study of genes which may be involved in asthma and allergies.

The congress is sure to confirm the increasingly important role of lung specialists in intensive care, a new and exciting field where the ERS intends to be a major player. There will be a special symposium dealing with "non-invasive" ventilation techniques, that are gradually being introduced into intensive care units. These new techniques, designed to help patients who are temporarily unable to breathe, constitute a real breakthrough, as they are both safer and as effective than the methods used so far, such as intubation and tracheotomy.

Among the other issues raised in conferences, symposia and oral presentations by the 9000 participants attending this 8th. ERS congress, it is worth noting the renewed spread of tuberculosis in the world, high altitude respiratory disorders and the cost of chronic bronchial diseases. Since smoking is a major cause of several lung diseases, the experts will also be discussing new strategies doctors can use to persuade patients to give up smoking for good, an area where the ERS has always played a pioneering role.

Admittance to the ERS congress is of course free of charge for journalists, who will have a modern press centre at their disposal. Several press releases will be available, subject to embargo, on the most important issues raised at the congress. There will be a daily press conference to give the latest news on particularly "hot" topics.

In order to register as a journalist, either to attend or to receive the embargoed press releases (please specify what you want), please fill in ALL the sections of the following registration form, and mail to [email protected]

Only completed applications will be considered and confirmed.

Name:
First name:
Media:
(Please indicate the name and type of media - e.g. written daily press, radio, television, etc., and the relevant town or country).
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NB: if you prefer to receive the press material in french, please specify. Thanks.