Dr. Chu on Ongoing Efforts to Address Disparities in Lung Cancer

Edward Chu, MD, MMS, professor, Department of Medicine (Oncology) and Department of Molecular Pharmacology, and director, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, discusses ongoing efforts to address disparities in lung cancer at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

It is known that survival outcomes are currently much poorer in African American patients with lung cancer, according to Chu. This is largely because this patient population is often diagnosed with advanced disease, according to Chu. As such, Brendon M. Stiles, MD, who was named chief of Thoracic Surgery & Surgical Oncology at Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in March 2021, is focused on developing strategies for increasing early detection and screening in high-risk patient populations, Chu says. 

Smoking is known to be a risk factor for lung cancer; however, environmental and toxic exposures can also increase risk of developing the disease, Chu notes. Stiles and his team will examine social and behavioral risk factors associated with lung cancer to better inform at-risk patients, Chu concludes.