Vanderbilt research scientist Melinda Aldrich, Ph.D., MPH, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health Academic Career Award to investigate some of the genetic secrets behind a greater risk of lung cancer among African-Americans compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

A new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators found that obese patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer spent more time in the operating room, adding to the nation’s health care bill.

Smoking is more detrimental to lung function in individuals with high proportions of African ancestry.

Even when lung operations for suspected cancer resection results in a benign diagnosis, there still may be significant benefits to the procedure, new research suggests.