Promoting awareness and enhancing access to low-dose computed tomography screening for early detection of lung cancer in underrepresented minority communities in Northern Illinois

Background : Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States, posing a persistent and inequitable public health challenge. In 2025, an estimated 226,650 new cases and 124,730 deaths are expected, disproportionately affecting racially and ethnically underrepresented minority communities. It's high mortality rate is partially due to the fact that ~75% of new cases are diagnosed in late stages. As of 2022, the age-adjusted mortality rates of Winnebago County and Ogle County are 22% and 30% higher than the national rate respectively. In the National Lung Screening trial (NLST), 90.9% of participants were white, 4.5% were African American, and 1.8% were Hispanic, highlighting the need for more widespread implementation of early-stage lung cancer screening. Low dose computed tomography (LDCT) is a valuable screening tool that utilizes ~90% less ionizing radiation than conventional chest CT scans. Hypothesis/Aims : Increased awareness of LDCT in clinical and community settings will lead to higher rates of lung cancer detection at early-stages, reduce mortality and improve prognosis. Study Design : We implemented a multifaceted approach to promote Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) screenings in four Illinois counties - Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, and Stephenson. We conducted community outreach through booths at minority-centered events, educating community members and physicians on the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and ACS set LDCT guidelines. Participant ethnicity and their zip codes were recorded. To evaluate the impact of our efforts, hospital data from June 2015 to December 2025 were analyzed for LDCT screenings and lung cancer cases. Results : From June 2015 to April 2026, 28 seminars and 76 public awareness booths targeting 3,055 people, with an estimated 335 physicians and 2,720 smokers were conducted to promote LDCT screening. Our outreach work reached 21.5% of Hispanics and 36.5% of African Americans out of 13,997 total LDCT screenings. There were 13,997 total LDCT screenings conducted, detecting 181 lung cancer cases, with 110 cases being diagnosed at early stages in our partnered local hospitals. Among all individuals who underwent LDCT screenings, ~86% were White, 8% were African American, 2% were Hispanic, and 1% were Asian and the rest 3% were other populations. Conclusion : Rural and minority communities remain underrepresented in LDCT screenings for lung cancer. Thus, continued efforts to promote lung cancer screening and awareness in rural and minority communities may increase the rate of early detection of lung cancer among smokers, which is the primary goal of our study.