Abstract B040: Building a lung cancer awareness event
Authors: Gomez-Guevara Michelle , Chin Kristine , Smith Anthony , Azuma Masashi , Ma Grace X. , Erkmen Cherie P 
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Lung cancer is the top cancer killer in the United States. Lung cancer screening (LCS) can decrease mortality of lung cancer, but current uptake is low. Concentrated effort during lung cancer awareness month has potential to positively impact uptake. Patient engagement and education are meaningful ways for medical students to make an impact. Methodology: We created a lung cancer awareness event during November (Lung Cancer Awareness Month) that aims to educate and engage regarding lung cancer and LCS. Prior to event day: 1. We secured buy-in from LCS leadership at the hospital, nurse navigators of the LCS program, leaders of nonprofit organizations and lung cancer support group leadership. 2. We recruited medical students to assist with creating informational materials, promoting the event and staffing day-of. All students attended a 1-hour training session on priority messages regarding lung cancer and LCS, engaging people in surveys and connecting eligible patients with LCS. 3. Informational materials and promotional flyers were sent to the lung cancer screening leadership to ensure messaging was in-line with messaging by the hospital and nonprofit organizations. Day-of event prep: 4. Tables with lung cancer educational materials were placed at the hospital entrances where foot traffic was greatest and staffed by medical students, nurse navigators and representatives from the nonprofits and lung cancer support groups. Educational and engagement materials at the table included lung cancer informational pamphlets, smoking cessation pamphlets and surveys to determine LCS eligibility. 5. Each table had a lung cancer and LCS trivia wheel with small give away items to attract and engage people at the tables. Event: 6. Medical students greeted people who approached the table and explained the purpose of the event (e.g. increasing lung cancer and LCS awareness and education). High priority messages regarding lung cancer and LCS (e.g. lung cancer is the top cancer killer, LCS can lower risk of dying from lung cancer, many eligible patients may not be getting screened) was conveyed by the student to the participant. 7. Participants were invited to complete the survey to determine LCS eligibility. 8. Participants were invited to answer a trivia question to win a lung cancer awareness t-shirt prize. After event: 9. Eligible patients identified by event surveys were followed-up by the nurse navigators to connect to LCS. Results: This lung cancer awareness event was successful in engaging people with lung cancer and lung cancer screening education. 73 people were recorded to have stopped by the table; 58 completed the survey in full. This event is within the power of medical students to do and can be set up easily with buy-in from faculty, hospital staff and local nonprofits. Conclusion: A student-run lung cancer awareness event is a feasible and impactful method to quickly engage patients in lung cancer screening. This event model can be translatable to future years and potentially expanded to other institutions and centers.

Citation Format: Michelle Gomez-Guevara, Kristine Chin, Anthony Smith Jr., Masashi Azuma, Grace X. Ma, Cherie P Erkmen. Building a lung cancer awareness event [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B040.