New Research on Oncology - Lung Cancer Highlights Key Sites for Smoking and Lung Cancer Screening

A new study has highlighted the importance of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in addressing smoking and lung cancer screening in the United States. Researchers from the University of Colorado conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of a method for selecting implementation strategies to address smoking cessation treatment and lung cancer screening delivery in FQHCs. The study was funded by the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Key Takeaways:

• The study identified two Massachusetts FQHCs that partnered with an external implementation team to pilot test a roadmap method to improve smoking cessation treatment and lung cancer screening.
• The internal and external team identified key implementation determinants guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.
• Qualitative group interviews with FQHC staff highlighted implementation determinants in the inner setting and outer context domains.
• Internal implementation teams rated the roadmap as feasible, acceptable, and appropriate, with a median score of 4.0 (IQR 3.3-5.0) for each measure.
• The study concluded that the roadmaps process warrants further testing in a larger trial of lung cancer screening and smoking cessation treatment implementation strategies in FQHCs.

Statistics:

• The study was conducted from December 2022 to May 2023.
• The internal implementation teams selected 6 strategies to address key barriers to implementation, 5 of which were implemented partially or fully during the pilot.
• The median scores for feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the strategy selection process were 4.0 (IQR 3.3-5.0) for each measure.
• The study involved 9 FQHC staff in qualitative group interviews.

Sources:

• NewsRx. New Lung Cancer Findings from University of Colorado Outlined (Collaborative Selection of Implementation Strategies for Improving Smoking Cessation Treatment and Lung Cancer Screening In Federally Qualified Health Centers: a Pilot Study). Health & Medicine Week. August 1, 2025; p 2713.
• Collaborative Selection of Implementation Strategies for Improving Smoking Cessation Treatment and Lung Cancer Screening In Federally Qualified Health Centers: a Pilot Study. Public Health Reports, 2025.
• Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.
• Gina R. Kruse, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, 12631 E 17TH Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.