Experts got together for MD Magazine to discuss COPD and how the disease presents itself in a heterogeneous way.
Peter Salgo, MD: Let’s take a look at chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a moment. If you look at individuals, it’s a heterogeneous group. The disease seems to present in a heterogeneous way, right? You’ve got rapid versus low progression. You’ve got mild to severe symptoms and variability. How do you parse all of this out, Byron?
Byron Thomashow, MD: Part of the problem is that for far too long, we’ve looked at COPD cases as the same and have treated it all the same. That’s clearly not the case. We would never, at this point in time, view all cancers as the same. We shouldn’t be viewing all COPD cases as the same. As you said, Peter, there are frequent exacerbated and infrequent exacerbated scenarios. There are eosinophilic exacerbators. There are the chronic bronchitis or bronchiectatic patients. The subsets deserve specific therapy that is aimed at them.
