Dr Olazagasti on Culturally Tailored Lung Cancer Screening for Hispanic Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Coral Olazagasti, MD, thoracic oncologist, professor, medicine, The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the development of a tailored lung cancer screening program for Hispanic head and neck cancer survivors. This initiative addresses disparities in lung cancer outcomes and screening rates in this population.

The GUIAR study aims to evaluate the impact of a culturally tailored educational intervention on lung cancer screening uptake among Hispanic head and neck cancer survivors. Participants are pre-screened for eligibility and enrolled in the University of Miami’s lung cancer screening program. The study has 2 components: a survey to assess awareness and perceptions of lung cancer screening, and a randomized trial comparing the tailored educational intervention to standard care, Olazagasti explains.

The survey component assesses awareness of lung cancer screening, risk perceptions of lung cancer, and attitudes toward screening among head and neck cancer survivors, Olazagasti reports. The randomized trial will involve 125 participants, with 62 undergoing annual 60-minute sessions with a nurse navigator who will provide education in the participant’s native language about lung cancer risk factors, the patient’s lung cancer screening eligibility, and the screening process. Those in the intervention arm will also receive culturally tailored educational materials and participate in semi-structured interviews to explore cultural beliefs and barriers to lung cancer screening, she notes.

The primary aim of this trial is to assess awareness and disposition toward lung cancer screening among Hispanic head and neck cancer survivors, Olazagasti states. Secondary aims include identifying barriers to lung cancer screening, developing and testing a tailored lung cancer screening program, and comparing lung cancer screening uptake rates between the 2 arms at baseline and after 1 year.

Descriptive statistics will summarize demographic and clinical characteristics and survey responses, Olazagasti explains. Key outcomes will seek to include the proportion of patients who are aware of lung cancer screening recommendations and the proportion of those willing to pursue screening, as well as factors related to this awareness. Qualitative data from interviews will be analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach with NVivo10 Software. For the randomized study, McNemar’s test will compare lung cancer screening uptake rates within each arm from baseline to year 1, and Fisher’s exact test will compare rates between the arms, she adds.

Overall, Olazagasti emphasizes this trial’s aim to address the significant gap in lung cancer screening uptake among Hispanic head and neck cancer survivors by developing a culturally tailored educational intervention. The goal is to improve early detection and outcomes in this high-risk population by determining whether culturally tailored education can yield higher lung cancer screening uptake rates compared with standard care, she concludes.