Applicability of the USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines in a Predominantly Black Veteran Population

Thomas N Rusher; Lekha Deere; Albert Jang; Rahul Kamat; Jaime Palomino

doi:10.12788/fp.0269

Applicability of the USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines in a Predominantly Black Veteran Population

Fed Pract. 2022 May;39(Suppl 2):S48-S51. doi: 10.12788/fp.0269. Epub 2022 May 13.

Authors

Thomas N Rusher¹, Lekha Deere², Albert Jang³, Rahul Kamat³, Jaime Palomino^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
² University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson.
³ Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
⁴ Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, New Orleans.

Abstract

Background: Black individuals and veterans are at higher risk for developing lung cancer compared with that of the general population. Evidence suggests the screening criteria have been too conservative for this population.

Methods: This study is a retrospective chart review examining the applicability of the 2013 United States Preventive Services Task Force lung cancer screening guidelines in a US Department of Veteran Affairs institution that served a a predominantly black population. Patients diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 lung cancer from 2005 through 2017 were included and grouped by whether or not they met United States Preventive Services Task Force screening criteria.

Results: There was a significantly higher proportion of Black patients in the study group that did not meet screening criteria (68% vs 54%, P = .04), highlighting the concern that this population was being underscreened with the 2013 guidelines.

Conclusions: An individualized, risk-based screening model could be more effective at diagnosing early-stage lung cancer and requires more investigation.