CHEST Data Show Low Lung Cancer Screening Awareness in Underserved Communities: Dr Juan Carlos Martinez

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Key Takeaways

Over half of eligible patients are unaware of lung cancer screening services, despite USPSTF recommendations.
Low-dose CT scans for lung cancer screening are underutilized, especially among lower SES and minority groups.
The study found significant gaps in awareness of screening methods, despite recognition of early treatment importance.
Barriers like language, education, and healthcare access hinder awareness, necessitating targeted outreach and education.

More than half of patients who were eligible for lung cancer screening were unaware of the screening services available to them despite recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which advises that individuals aged 50 to 80 with a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years, including current smokers and those who have quit within the past 15 years, according to a study featured at CHEST 2024 in Boston.

Lung cancer continues to be a public health concern in the US, and this patient population is advised to undergo lung cancer screening (LCS) through low-dose CT scans (LDCT). Regardless, LCS remains underused, especially among lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups and underrepresented minority communities (URC).

The study, led by Juan Carlos Martinez, a 3rd-year resident doctor at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick, Brooklyn, assessed awareness and knowledge of LCS within a diverse URC population. Of the 109 patients surveyed, 59.63% had never heard of LCS, and 66.97% were unaware of any screening methods. Despite this, nearly all participants (96.33%) believed early treatment for lung cancer is important, and 86.24% considered LCS essential. However, 58.72% did not know lung cancer risk factors, indicating a significant gap in awareness.

In this interview, Martinez explains that while patients recognize the severity of lung cancer, there is a lack of knowledge about LCS methods, likely due to barriers such as language, education, and health care access. Addressing these challenges through targeted community outreach and health education programs is critical to increasing screening rates and reducing lung cancer mortality in URC populations. The study highlights the need for improved health literacy initiatives to close barriers to preventive care.

Reference

Martinez Zegarra JC, Eestrada A, Sarrafi D, et al. Filling the gap: patients’ knowledge and awareness of lung cancer screening of an underrepresented minority community’s cohort study. CHEST. 2024;166(4):A3797-A3798.