Experts to Be Featured in KET Lung Disease Series

Six University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare experts will be featured in a three-part series by Kentucky Educational TV (KET) that examines lung disease in Kentucky: the causes, the impact on those afflicted and the exciting new developments in treatment, environmental health science and prevention.

When it comes to lung health, Kentucky faces challenges. Due in part to the state’s high smoking and radon-exposure rates, the Commonwealth boasts one of the highest rates of lung disease in the United States, with an incidence rate that is 50% higher than the national average.

Fighting to Breathe: Lung Disease in Kentucky is a new three-part series from KET, as well as a KET Forum, that examines the under-told story of lung disease in Kentucky. Hosts Renee Shaw and Wayne Tuckson, M.D., speak with researchers, experts, advocates and survivors who reveal eye-opening information that challenges our basic assumptions about lung health. Along the way, viewers will learn about the anatomy of the respiratory system as well as the resilience and vulnerability of the human lung which inhales and exhales over 400 liters of air every hour.

The series includes:

The Threats Around Us

Every minute our lungs are fighting off and expelling unwanted particles, naturally occurring gases, toxins and biologic agents. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wakeup call to remind us that no one is immune to respiratory invaders. In this episode, we examine the major threats to lung health – especially in low-income and rural communities – and what happens when the lungs’ defenses are overwhelmed, and the novel solutions addressed by community-engaged research in Kentucky. KET Monday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma

COPD and asthma are two of the most common chronic lung diseases. In this episode, we explore the causes, diagnosis (and misdiagnosis) and best practices for treating these diseases clinically. The program also presents new research from the University of Kentucky and looks at innovative public health measures to address these conditions. KET Monday, Feb. 21 at 9:30 p.m. EST/ 8:30 p.m. CST

Lung Cancer

Until very recently, the news about lung cancer was uniformly bleak. However, with the advancement of low-dose CT scans for detecting early lung cancers in smokers and former smokers, the tide is changing. In this episode, we examine how these scans are saving lives and the need for more people to take advantage of them. We also explore new treatments for lung cancer – targeted therapies and immunotherapies – that are increasing survival rates. And we learn more about the 20% of lung cancer patients who never smoked who are desperate for others to understand that we are all at-risk for lung cancer and ways we can prevent it. KET Monday, Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST

Fighting to Breathe: A KET Forum

This one-hour forum explores the next steps in the fight to reduce the burden of lung disease in the Commonwealth and enhance the respiratory health of all Kentuckians. KET Monday, Feb. 28 at 9:30 p.m. EST/ 8:30 p.m. CST

The series features Timothy Mullett, M.D., medical director of the UK Markey Cancer Center Research Network; Jill Kolesar, Pharm.D., professor in the UK College of Pharmacy and director of the Markey Cancer Center Precision Medicine Program; Stacy R. Stanifer, Ph.D., a project manager for Radon on the RADAR, an assistant professor in the UK College of Nursing and a Markey researcher; Steven R. Browning, Ph.D., an associate professor of Epidemiology in the UK College of Public Health; Beverly May, Dr.P.H., a project manager for the Mountain Air Project research team in the UK College of Public Health; and Ellen J. Hahn, Ph.D., director and professor of College of Nursing’s BREATHE and UK-CARES and a Markey researcher.

Fighting to Breathe is funded, in part, by grants from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Kentucky Medical Association (through a grant from the Anthem Foundation).