LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Public Health has been awarded a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

The grant will be used to conduct new research led by Dr. Tung Sung Tseng in conjunction with the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center to study benefits of combining lung cancer screenings and smoking cessation in African Americans.

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in Louisiana, accounting for nearly two thirds of cancer deaths. This research project, titled “Effectiveness of a multilevel integrated intervention for low dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening and smoking cessation among African Americans,” marks a step forward in supporting combining lung cancer screenings and smoking cessation to ease the burden of cancer among African Americans. The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH.  

Low dose computed tomography is a non-invasive, painless, quick scan that uses a low dose of radiation to create detailed images of the lungs. According to the American Lung Association, Black individuals with lung cancer were 15% less likely to be diagnosed early, 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment, 11% more likely to not receive any treatment, and 16% less likely to survive five years compared to white individuals. 

Dr. Tseng’s research aims to utilize multiple levels of intervention integrating lung cancer screening and smoking cessation to increase LDCT application and cessation behaviors in racially and ethnically diverse populations. These aims directly align with the goals of both the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center’s mission and will increase knowledge of smoking cessation and LDCT needs for African Americans. In addition, this study may also help build a robust screening program for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.

Information from this research study will be beneficial for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center as it aims to better understand the impacts of lung cancer on minority populations in Louisiana. 

To learn more, visit www.lsulcmchealthcancercenter.org.