Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility, Uptake, and Adherence in Puerto Rico, 2022

Lung cancer screening (LCS) with yearly low-dose computed tomography reduces lung cancer mortality, but uptake remains low. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, faces significant barriers to LCS implementation, but data on LCS eligibility and use are limited.

This study aimed to estimate the number of individuals eligible for LCS in Puerto Rico and assess the prevalence of LCS use and up-to-date status compared with U.S. Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations.

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a population-based telephone survey. Adults eligible for LCS per 2021 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines (aged 50-80 years, ≥20 pack-year smoking history, current or recent smokers) from Puerto Rico and the United States were included.

Participants were categorized into three groups: Puerto Rico residents, U.S. Hispanic, and U.S. non-Hispanic populations.

The primary outcomes and measures were self-reported receipt of initial LCS (ever had chest CT for screening) and being up to date with LCS (i.e., chest CT in the past year). Multivariable Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios for LCS outcomes.

After population weighting, 94,955 individuals were eligible for LCS in Puerto Rico, compared with 12.8 million in the U.S., representing 7.9% and 11.9% of their respective populations. The prevalence of self-reported LCS use was 28.4% in Puerto Rico, 27.6% among U.S. Hispanics, and 31.5% among U.S. non-Hispanics. Being up to date with LCS was lower among Puerto Rico residents (9.8%) than among U.S. Hispanics (17.3%) and non-Hispanics (18.1%). Multivariable models found Puerto Rico residents were less likely to be up to date with LCS than were U.S. non-Hispanics (adjusted prevalence ratios, 0.54; 95% CI 0.29-0.99).

Fewer than 10% of eligible individuals in Puerto Rico self-reported being up to date with LCS, indicating they are almost half as likely to self-report as eligible individuals in the United States, highlighting significant gaps in care. Implementing high-quality LCS in Puerto Rico is critical to reducing lung cancer mortality and providing equitable lung cancer care.