Addressing low lung cancer screening rates through awareness and access

Lung cancer screening has the potential to catch lung cancer early and save lives-but only if people get screened. Although lung cancer screening is recommended in the U.S. for certain individuals with a history of smoking, only 18% of eligible individuals in the U.S. get screened. One suggested explanation has been that those eligible are resistant to receiving preventive healthcare, but a new study published in JAMA and led by researchers at Mass General Brigham indicates otherwise.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham sought to investigate use of other preventive healthcare services among individuals eligible for lung cancer screening. Using the 2022 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System dataset, the researchers analyzed data from 28,483 individuals aged 50 to 79 who were eligible for lung cancer screening. They found that while only 17-18% of eligible individuals received lung cancer screening, 65% of those eligible received breast and colorectal cancer screening-a nearly 4-fold higher rate.

"Our findings show that many individuals eligible for lung cancer screenings are open to receiving preventive care services. The data suggest that these individuals aren't necessarily resistant to receiving cancer screenings-other factors are likely driving low rates of lung cancer screening," said first author Alexandra Potter, a researcher in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at MGH.

These other factors may include difficulty assessing eligibility for lung cancer screening. In contrast to breast and colorectal cancer screening eligibility criteria, which are based on age alone, lung cancer screening eligibility criteria are more complex and include both age and multiple smoking history requirements. Challenges accessing lung cancer screening clinics are also likely an important factor driving low rates."

Alexandra Potter, Researcher, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Mass General Brigham

The researchers concluded that many individuals eligible for lung cancer screening are already engaged in preventive care. They emphasized that their findings underscore the need for interventions to increase awareness of lung cancer screening and reduce barriers that prevent high-risk individuals from undergoing lung cancer screening.

"As a community, we need to work together to improve lung cancer screening awareness and address the notable barriers that currently make it challenging for high-risk individuals to get lung cancer screening," said senior author Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, MD, of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.