Abstract 2608: Lung cancer prevention and an early detection educational intervention in minority and underserved communities
Authors: Sojourner Samantha J. , Vernon Marlo M. , Albashir Ghadeer , Moore Justin X. , Looney Stephen W. , Tingen Martha S. 
Published: July 2021

Purpose: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in African Americans (AAs). The 5-year relative survival rate for localized lung cancer among AAs is 52%; however, only 16% of lung cancer cases are detected at this early stage. Even when lung cancer is diagnosed early, AAs are less likely than whites to receive life-saving surgery.

Procedures: An educational intervention was delivered in 16 sites across the CSRA: 12 AA churches, three Federally-Qualified Health Centers, and one Community Center serving low-income and minority families. Community Health Workers at each site were selected and trained to deliver the educational content in four (4) 90-minute weekly sessions to participants in their congregation/facility. Content included cancer risk factors, the health consequences of tobacco use, tobacco cessation for current smokers, and the benefits of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer. Pre- and post-intervention “site surveys” were administered to individuals who were members/visitors of the intervention sites (i.e. members of the church, patients at the FQHC, and visitors of the Community Center) to assess community changes in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding lung cancer following the intervention. This report is on the surveys completed anonymously by the people at the sites, not on those enrolled in the study.

Results: Data were collected from 2136 participants (n=1404 baseline and 732 follow-up). Baseline and follow-up surveys were independent observations. Approximately 70.1% of respondents were female, 29.9% male, and 91.9% AA. There was significant improvement in the self-reported frequency of exercise among respondents, with 41.5% reporting 2-3 days of exercise at follow-up compared to 34.2% at baseline (p=0.006). Other significant findings include: current smoking status decreased from 13.5% at baseline to 8.0% at follow-up (p=0.001); knowledge of the recommended screening test for lung cancer increased from 35.2% at baseline to 43.4% at follow-up (p=0.002); men who have had a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test within the last year increased from 54.4% at baseline to 72.2% at follow-up (p=0.006); and women answering whether they had ever had a mammogram increased from 78.0% at baseline to 86.6% at follow-up (p&lt;0.001).

Conclusion: AAs are at greater risk for lung cancer incidence and mortality due to low access to quality healthcare, education, and prevention efforts. This project demonstrates that education and prevention efforts can be used to increase community knowledge about lung cancer and cancer risk factors, provide resources to decrease risk factors (smoking cessation) and increase access to screening for early detection. These efforts are promising for reducing cancer incidence and increasing early detection, and decreasing mortality rates among AAs who suffer disproportionate cancer health disparities.

Citation Format: Samantha J. Sojourner, Marlo M. Vernon, Ghadeer Albashir, Justin X. Moore, Stephen W. Looney, Martha S. Tingen. Lung cancer prevention and an early detection educational intervention in minority and underserved communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2608.