The Duncan Lab for Lung Cancer Screening & Health Equity
Advancing equitable lung cancer screening through implementation science, community partnerships, and multilevel intervention design.
Advancing science. Crushing disparities.
WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?
Understanding Lung Cancer
What is lung cancer and its incidence?
Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in the lungs, and each year approximately 220,000 Americans are diagnosed - making it one of the most diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer death, claiming more lives than breast and colon cancer combined. 1 in 16 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
How does lung cancer screening compare to other cancer screenings?
Despite its lifesaving potential, lung cancer screening has the lowest uptake of any major cancer screening, 18% compared with 72% for colorectal cancer and 76% for breast cancer.
UNDERSTANDING LUNG CANCER
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Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death because most cases are diagnosed only after symptoms appear, when disease is already advanced. Yet even at that stage, curative treatment is still possible for some patients - and earlier detection dramatically improves outcomes.
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Lung cancer survival rates have improved 26% in the last 5 years, which means people with lung cancer are living longer.
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Early detection through low-dose CT screening of the chest can find lung cancer before symptoms develop, when it is most treatable and survival rates are dramatically higher.
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Black and Brown communities face a disproportionate burden of lung cancer, with higher rates of diagnosis, more advanced disease at the time of detection, and worse survival outcomes compared to white individuals.
Free resources for patients and community members:
OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM
Implementation science for equitable lung cancer screening.
I lead implementation science and pragmatic research focused on improving lung cancer screening delivery across academic medical centers, rural communities, and safety‑net health systems. My research focuses on designing, testing, and scaling multilevel interventions that improve lung cancer screening by strengthening provider knowledge, enhancing shared decision-making, and optimizing healthcare system processes.
Through partnerships with clinicians, health systems, and community stakeholders, I develop and test approaches that increase access, streamline workflows, and ensure that evidence‑based screening reaches the people who need it most. My research is grounded in rigor, equity, and real‑world impact — built to close gaps in care along the entire lung cancer continuum.
Focus Areas:
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CME-style education
Decision support tools
Increasing guideline-concordant referrals
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Patient-centered communication
Tools for clinicians
Reducing stigma and mistrust
Tools for patients and community members
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EMR-integrated patient outreach
Proactive patient eligibility identification
Workflow optimization
Quality improvement
DR. DUNCAN FEATURED IN MEDIA
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