Leveraging High Mammography Screening Prevalence to Increase Lung Cancer Screening Among Women-a Geospatial...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Geospatial Analysis

Background:

• Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women, with low lung cancer screening (LCS) rates.
• Integrating LCS with screening mammography can increase LCS uptake in eligible women.
• Geospatial analysis can identify opportunities to improve LCS accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the proximity of mammography facilities to LCS facilities nationwide.
• To determine if leveraging mammography screening can increase LCS uptake among women.
• To identify geographic areas with potential for intervention to improve LCS access.

Main Methods:

• A geospatial approach was used to assess the proximity of mammography and LCS facilities at distances of 0, 0.5, and 1 mile.
• Publicly available data were utilized to estimate the number of women aged 50-74, women who underwent mammography, and women eligible for LCS within these proximity zones.
• Bivariate maps were generated to visualize potential intervention areas.

Main Results:

• Approximately 40% of mammography facilities are located within 1 mile of LCS facilities.
• Over 59% of these are co-located (0 miles or shared address), primarily in urban areas, indicating an urban-rural access disparity.
• While less than 25% of mammography facilities are co-located with LCS facilities, these are situated in counties with a high concentration of women eligible for LCS and those who have undergone mammography.

Conclusions:

• The high prevalence of mammography and the spatial alignment of facilities with eligible populations present a significant opportunity to increase LCS rates.
• Integrating LCS eligibility assessment and screening offers convenient access for women at risk for lung cancer.
• Targeted interventions in areas with co-located facilities can effectively reach women for LCS during their mammography appointments.