Expanding lung cancer screening criteria is step toward greater equity for high-risk populations
TUESDAY, June 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — After implementation of the expanded U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2021 criteria for lung cancer screening (LCS), there was an increase in the proportion of African-American individuals who underwent screening, according to a research letter published online June 15 in JAMA Network Open.
Christine S. Shusted, M.P.H., from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and colleagues characterized the differences among individuals deemed eligible under USPSTF 2013 versus 2021 guidelines who underwent LCS in a centralized program. Individuals who completed LCS between March 9 and Dec. 9, 2021, were identified.
The researchers found that of the 815 individuals who were screened, 19.8 and 80.2 percent were newly eligible under the USPSTF 2021 criteria and were eligible under the USPSTF 2013 criteria, respectively. Compared with the USPSTF 2013-eligible cohort, the USPSTF 2021-eligible cohort had a higher proportion of African-American individuals (54.0 versus 39.5 percent). Compared with the USPSTF 2013-eligible cohort, the USPSTF 2021-eligible cohort had a lower frequency of Medicare insurance and significantly lower mean lung cancer risk based on a prediction model derived from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Participants eligible under the 2013 versus 2021 criteria had no difference in gender, distribution of educational attainment, or Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System results.
“LCS is a complex process with a multitude of potential barriers, and social determinants of health care, such as insurance status and access to care, may continue to disproportionately limit access to screening services for underserved populations,” the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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