Equipping providers in underserved communities to improve lung cancer care

Hundreds of thousands of lung cancer patients and their families rely on their healthcare providers to learn about the best possible care options. Thanks to major breakthroughs in prevention, early detection and treatment, recent decades have brought new hope to many patients. But for every patient to benefit from these advances, it’s critical to equip providers who serve marginalized populations with this knowledge.

Fortunately, with the help of a pair of grants from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS Foundation), an independent charitable organization, a new global education hub and community screening program are doing just that. The Global Knowledge Center for Lung Cancer (GKC) was established in 2022 by GO2 For Lung Cancer (GO2), the largest lung cancer patient advocacy organization, with support from the BMS Foundation. The GKC pools expertise from the world’s leading doctors and scientists to provide free, world-class online education programs to primary care providers and healthcare professionals.

According to Dr. Joelle Fathi, the GO2 for Lung Cancer’s chief healthcare delivery officer, many providers are in need of continuing education to inform them on current evidence, advancements in the field, and emerging therapies to support them in addressing the unique needs of their patients and deliver high-quality care. Providers serving disadvantaged and underserved communities, including rural areas and low and middle-income countries, simply don’t have access to professional organizations, networks, or time and resources to attend conferences or to access current literature.

“Our goal and our ethic is to serve all,” said Fathi. “To not be exclusive, to make this education available, but also to find ways to support and partner with anyone who has the same vision for improving the quality of life and survivorship for people with lung cancer.”

The GKC has received tremendous interest across the board: there are more than 1,000 enrollees representing all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries. Each participant can access learning modules, workshops and other educational programs to help them better detect, prevent and treat lung cancer, and then take that expertise back to their communities.

Another focus for GO2, with a grant from the BMS Foundation, is bringing a targeted approach to improve access and uptake of lung cancer screening in low-income regions of New York State. To accomplish this goal, GO2 is collaborating with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Western NY Lung Cancer Screening Collaborative (comprised of roughly 60 key stakeholders, including elected leaders, public health officials and community leaders throughout the region), and many other local community-based organizations, public health agencies, private and public healthcare entities and more.

Reflecting on these critical efforts to advance health equity and improve patient outcomes in the lung cancer community, Dr. Fathi, who has 30 years of direct clinical experience, said her work is inspired and anchored by the patients she has served.