WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-P3.16.21 The Role of Neighborhood Deprivation in Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Pdf Summary

This study investigates how neighborhood deprivation influences lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, focusing on access to biomarker testing and clinical trial participation. Lung cancer, a leading cause of cancer death, often presents at advanced stages, and disparities in diagnostic and treatment access persist, shaped significantly by social determinants of health (SDOH).<br /><br />Using self-reported data from the 2023 GO2 for Lung Cancer Registry and LungMATCH Program, alongside an Area Deprivation Index (ADI) measuring neighborhood socioeconomic status, the researchers analyzed 174 patients (137 with ZIP code data). The ADI ranges from 1-10, where 1-5 indicates low deprivation and 6-10 high deprivation.<br /><br />Key findings reveal that individuals in high deprivation areas had a 13% lower rate of receiving biomarker testing and were 18% less likely to discuss clinical trial participation compared to those in low deprivation areas. Moreover, patients from low deprivation neighborhoods were 3% more likely to participate in clinical trials. Despite these trends, no statistically significant difference was found in staging at diagnosis, with most patients (57%) diagnosed at late or advanced stages regardless of deprivation status.<br /><br />Contributing factors to these disparities include financial strain, resource availability, structural racism, and transportation accessibility. These barriers result in less comprehensive cancer care for socially disadvantaged populations.<br /><br />The study emphasizes that clinicians and healthcare systems should consider patients' residential contexts when assessing needs and delivering care. Ensuring patients are offered biomarker testing and informed about clinical trials is crucial, especially for those in high deprivation areas. Integrating area-specific data with electronic medical records can help identify at-risk individuals.<br /><br />Overall, understanding neighborhood deprivation's role can guide targeted interventions to reduce disparities, improve care delivery, and enhance outcomes for lung cancer patients. The authors acknowledge support from GO2 for Lung Cancer and LungMATCH participants and cite recent literature highlighting socioeconomic impacts on cancer care disparities.

Asset Subtitle

Brittney Nichols

Meta Tag

Speaker Brittney Nichols

Topic Patient Advocacy

Keywords

neighborhood deprivation

lung cancer

biomarker testing

clinical trial participation

social determinants of health

Area Deprivation Index

health disparities

advanced cancer diagnosis

healthcare access barriers

socioeconomic status