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Melinda Aldrich Archives

Vanderbilt research played key role in new lung screen guidelines

Mar. 18, 2021—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.

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Criteria for lung cancer screens may be expanded

Jul. 23, 2020—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.

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Health disparity for blacks exists within lung screening guidelines

Jun. 27, 2019—  by Tom Wilemon The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines that determine which smokers qualify for CT scans exclude significant numbers of African Americans who develop lung cancer, a health disparity that merits modifications to lung cancer screening criteria, according to a study from Vanderbilt researchers. “Among smokers diagnosed with lung cancer, 32%...

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Team explores fungal infection quandary in lung cancer screenings

Apr. 18, 2019—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.

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Genetics of lung cancer survival

Jun. 29, 2017—Vanderbilt investigators have conducted a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study of lung cancer survival in African-Americans.

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Ancestry impacts smoking risk for lungs

Aug. 7, 2012—Smoking is more detrimental to lung function in individuals with high proportions of African ancestry.

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Cancer Center study snuffs out menthol myths

Mar. 24, 2011—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.

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