CHEST data shows low awareness of lung cancer screening in underserved communities: Dr. Juan Carlos Martinez

More than half of patients eligible for lung cancer screening were unaware of the screening services available to them, despite recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that include people ages 50 to 80 Ages with a smoking history of at least 20 years are recommended. This is according to a study presented at CHEST 2024 in Boston.

Lung cancer continues to be a public health problem in the United States, and this population is recommended to undergo lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose CT scans (LDCT). Regardless, LCS remains underutilized, particularly among lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups and underrepresented minority communities (URC).

The study, led by Juan Carlos Martinez, a third-year resident 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 screening methods. Nevertheless, almost all participants (96.33%) considered early treatment of lung cancer to be important, and 86.24% considered LCS to be essential. However, 58.72% did not know the risk factors for lung cancer, indicating a significant knowledge gap.

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 access to healthcare. Addressing these challenges through targeted 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 address barriers to prevention.

reference

Martinez Zegarra JC, Eestrada A, Sarrafi D, et al. Closing the Gap: Patient Knowledge and Awareness of Lung Cancer Screening in the Cohort Study of an Underrepresented Minority Community. BREAST. 2024;166(4):A3797-A3798.