Melinda Aldrich

March 18, 2021

Vanderbilt research played key role in new lung screen guidelines

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has formally recommended two changes that will nearly double the number of people eligible for lung cancer screening by lowering the age from 55 to 50 and reducing the number of smoking history pack years from 30 to 20.

By Tom Wilemon
July 23, 2020

Criteria for lung cancer screens may be expanded

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending two changes that will nearly double the number of people eligible for lung cancer screening by lowering the age from 55 to 50 and reducing the number of smoking history pack years from 30 to 20.

By Tom Wilemon
lungs
June 27, 2019

Health disparity for black people exists within lung screening guidelines

By Tom Wilemon
The Vanderbilt team studying histoplasmosis includes (front row, from left, Heidi Chen, PhD, Melinda Aldrich, PhD, MPH, (back row, from left) Stephen Deppen, PhD, Eric Grogan, MD, MPH, and Jeffrey Blume, PhD.
April 18, 2019

Team explores fungal infection quandary in lung cancer screenings

Serving a region that lies within the tobacco belt, clinicians at Vanderbilt Health face challenges distinguishing lung cancer from histoplasmosis, a fungal infection that creates cancer-mimicking lesions in the lungs.

By Tom Wilemon
June 29, 2017

Genetics of lung cancer survival

Vanderbilt investigators have conducted a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study of lung cancer survival in African-Americans.

By Sanjay Mishra
August 1, 2013

Study explores race differences of lung cancer risk

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.

By VUMC News and Communications
August 7, 2012

Ancestry impacts smoking risk for lungs

Smoking is more detrimental to lung function in individuals with high proportions of African ancestry.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 24, 2011

Cancer Center study snuffs out menthol myths

People who smoke mentholated cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer or die from the disease than are smokers of non-mentholated brands, a new study shows.
By Bill Snyder