The American Thoracic Society’s 2011 International Conference will continue through Wednesday at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center, which is conveniently serviced by the area’s light rail.
Photo courtesy of Steve Crecelius and VISIT DENVER.
Peter Hackett, MD, was the first person to climb alone from Mt. Everest’s high camp to its summit and survive. Also an internationally recognized expert in altitude medicine, Dr. Hackett shared his insights at the ATS 2011 opening address on Saturday afternoon.
After presenting “High Science: Colorado, Everest and Beyond,” attendees gathered for the Fellows & Junior Professionals Exchange and the ATS Foundation’s third-annual dinner, which benefits the Society’s Research Program. The dinner was supported by Dinner Underwriter Merck.
Due to press deadlines, the ATS was unable to cover the opening ceremony, exchange and dinner in this issue of the ATS Daily Bulletin. Coverage of these events will appear in Monday’s edition of the printed and online editions of the newspaper.
This year’s conference will feature more than 500 sessions, 800 speakers and 5,400 original research abstracts and case reports.
According to Marc Moss, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver, who chairs the ATS International Conference Committee, the 2011 program will include the presentation of novel basic science discoveries and how they are being translated into improved patient care.
Marc Moss, MD
“The ATS will highlight the basic framework behind the most recent clinical advances in adult and pediatric pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine,” he said.
Clinicians will learn new approaches that they can apply in patient care through sessions like C91 “Late-Breaking Clinical Trials,” which will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday in room 205-207 (street level) of the Colorado Convention Center. The session will feature six research studies, with two focusing on COPD, one on asthma, one on tuberculosis, one on critical care and one on lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
“The intent is to create an opportunity for attendees to learn about the results of clinical trials that may be presented for the first time and the newest possible therapies that they can take home and apply to their patients,” Dr. Moss said.
Another important session is A92 “Lung Cancer Screening: What We Have Learned from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) and What We Still Need to Know.” During this symposium, which will take place from 2 to 4:30 p.m. today in the Four Seasons Ballroom 1-2 (lower level) of the Colorado Convention Center, presenters will examine this research study of men and women at risk for lung cancer.
Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the trial of 50,000 current or former heavy smokers from more than 30 U.S. sites compared the use of low-dose helical CT and standard chest x-ray. Initial findings were released in November 2010.
“This trial demonstrated a 20.3 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality among participants in the CT arm of the study,” Dr. Moss said. “Early detection of lung cancer improves mortality. The results of this study will have major implications on how at-risk patients are screened for lung cancer.”
The session A11 “State of Scientific Research in Colorado” will feature presentations from Howard Hughes investigators and National Academy of Science members from Colorado. The session, which will take place from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. today in room 405-406-407 (street level) of the Colorado Convention Center, will bring together an accomplished group of non-ATS scientists from Colorado to discuss current topics in their fields of interest.