Gelareh Sadigh Receives New Grants from American Lung Association & Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Empower LCS: Improving Access to Lung Cancer Screening

Despite the demonstrated survival benefits of lung cancer screening (LCS) and insurance coverage for eligible individuals, screening rates remain persistently low. To address barriers that prevent patients from completing screening, Department of Radiological Sciences Associate Professor Gelareh Sadigh, MD, and team have developed Empower LCS, a multilevel intervention designed to address patient-, provider- and health system–level barriers to lung cancer screening.

With support from a newly funded grant by the American Lung Association, investigators at UC Irvine and Emory University will evaluate the preliminary efficacy of Empower LCS compared with enhanced usual care among individuals eligible for lung cancer screening. The intervention provides patients with tailored education and resources, engages primary care providers and addresses health system barriers to screening. Participants who do not respond to the initial intervention will receive additional telephone-based navigation to assist with scheduling primary care or lung cancer screening appointments.

The study will examine whether this multilevel approach can increase the completion of recommended lung cancer screening and help identify effective strategies to reach individuals who may otherwise remain unscreened.

Findings from this study will provide important preliminary data for a larger, multi-institutional clinical trial. Ultimately, Empower LCS aims to improve access to lung cancer screening, facilitate earlier detection and reduce lung cancer mortality.

Exploring a Cheek Swab–Based Approach to Lung Cancer Screening

Adherence to recommended lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) remains low, with patient-, provider- and health system–level barriers contributing to underutilization. New approaches that are easy to use and integrate into routine clinical care may help overcome some of these barriers and expand access to lung cancer screening.

In this study funded by the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center AntiCancer Challenge, Sadigh's team will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a cheek swab-based test for risk stratification prior to lung cancer screening. They will examine patients’ and healthcare providers’ preferences for the cheek swab-based test compared with standard LDCT screening and explore factors that may influence acceptance and use of this novel approach.

The study will also evaluate agreement between cheek swab–based test results and LDCT findings. Among patients with discordant results, the team will examine cancer detection and subsequent diagnostic testing and healthcare utilization.

Because cheek swab collection is simple and can be readily integrated into routine primary care workflows, this approach may help reduce structural barriers to lung cancer screening. Findings from this study will provide important preliminary evidence regarding the potential role of cheek swab–based testing in improving access to lung cancer screening, particularly among underserved populations.