Journal Article

Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening in Hispanic Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Olazagasti, Coral, de Lima Lopes, Gilberto, Crane, Tracy

2024

Overview

Effective cancer screening is essential for early detection and improved survival outcomes. Cancer is a leading cause of death for Hispanics/Latinx, who represent the largest minority group in the U.S. Despite lower tobacco use, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic/Latinx men and the second leading cause in women. Late-stage diagnoses, due to limited screening opportunities, contribute to poor survival rates. Cancer survivors, especially those previously diagnosed with head and neck cancer, face a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer. Approximately one-fourth of head and neck cancer survivors die from a second malignancy, with lung cancer accounting for over half of these cases. These individuals are nearly three times more likely to develop lung cancer compared to the general population of smokers. In this manuscript, we detail the importance of implementing lung cancer screening in these high-risk populations. Plain Language Summary Head and neck cancer survivors are developing lung cancer at much higher incidences than the average population of smokers. Hispanics/Latinx are also dying from LC at a faster rate than any other malignancy. Disparities exist pertaining to the LC survival in both HNC survivors and H/L populations. However, the exact data is unknown given the lack of dedicated studies to understand the behaviors and risk factors of these 2 populations. Therefore, by extrapolating the data for each population separately, we infer that disparities in early detection of LC and the overall LC mortality are higher in these groups combined. To overcome this unmet need, further studies are in dire need to address LCS inequalities in H/L HNC survivors and explore the role of non invasive modalities for LCS.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,Sage Publications Ltd,SAGE Publishing
• Subject: Cancer screening / Cancer Survivors / Early Detection of Cancer - methods / Female / Head & neck cancer / Head and neck / Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis / Head and Neck Neoplasms - ethnology / Healthcare Disparities / Hispanic Americans / Hispanic or Latino / Humans / Lung cancer / Lung Neoplasms - diagnosis / Male / Malignancy / Medical screening / Minority & ethnic groups / Risk factors / Survival / United States - epidemiology