Lung Cancer Diagnosis Disparity

Project summary

This study will examine disparity in the diagnostic pathways for men and women of Black/African American descent in the United States. This qualitative study will triangulate the perspectives of cancer patients and their caregivers with those of healthcare providers and community advocates. The study uses Anderson’s Model for Cancer Diagnosis to develop the interview guides. A community advisory group of caregivers and advocates of African American/Black patients helped developed the interview guide. Examining pitfalls and challenges along the pathways to the diagnosis of lung cancer patients will help answer key questions, such as identifying the origin/cause of disparity and developing strategies to address this disparity. 

The theme of the research is exploring the topic of diagnosis, which is the main focus for CanTest. We will zoom in on disparity in lung cancer diagnosis, which is an emerging topic of interest in the US and internationally. While the experience of Black/African Americans is unique to the United States, elements of the experiences that lead to disparity in care still apply to other countries to communities of color and possibly other marginalised communities.