Recruitment and retention of Chinese men at high risk for lung Cancer: Lessons learned from a pilot trial of a community health worker intervention to increase lung cancer screening uptake Journal Article


Authors: Leng, J.; Lui, F.; Chan, C.; Chen, R. Y.; Wu, M.; Narang, B.; Gany, F.
Article Title: Recruitment and retention of Chinese men at high risk for lung Cancer: Lessons learned from a pilot trial of a community health worker intervention to increase lung cancer screening uptake
Abstract: Background: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently recommends annual lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for asymptomatic 50- to 80-year-old adults with a 20-pack year history who currently smoke or have quit smoking within the past 15 years. Foreign-born Chinese livery drivers are a group at disproportionately high risk for lung cancer due to high smoking prevalence and occupational exposure to airborne contaminants and carcinogens. This paper describes a pilot randomized controlled trial to educate and navigate high-risk, previously unscreened Chinese livery drivers to lung cancer screening, and describes barriers to recruitment and retention. Study design: Pre-pilot and pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases, a pre-pilot and pilot randomized controlled trial between December 2019 and June 2023. In the pilot RCT, eligible participants were randomized to either (1) the CHW (Community Health Worker) intervention group or (2) a written materials only control group and participated for 6–12 months. Results: From December 2019 to June 2023, 25 subjects were enrolled: 12 in Phase 1 and 13 in Phase 2 (of 1018 approached). Recruitment barriers included the COVID-19 pandemic, institutional mistrust, smoking-related beliefs, and primary care provider-related barriers. Conclusions: We identified specific socioenvironmental and cultural barriers to LCS uptake among Chinese immigrant men who smoke. Farther upstream cancer education interventions (e.g., provider and community-level education initiatives on LCS) conducted in partnership with community-based organizations should be considered to meet the needs of this population. © 2025 The Authors
Keywords: lung cancer screening; limited english proficiency; underserved populations; livery drivers; community health workers; chinese immigrants and emigrants
Journal Title: Public Health in Practice
Volume: 9
ISSN: 2666-5352
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2025-06-01
Start Page: 100621
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2025.100621
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC12137152
PUBMED: 40475791
DOI/URL:
Notes: The MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) is acknowledged in the PDF. Corresponding MSK author is Jennifer Leng -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Jennifer Chung Foung Leng
    78 Leng
  2. Francesca Mara Gany
    216 Gany
  3. Florence Lui
    23 Lui
  4. Bharat Narang
    30 Narang
  5. Minlun Wu
    11 Wu
  6. Ruo Yan Chen
    3 Chen
  7. Chloe Chan
    1 Chan