Sociodemographic profile of individuals eligible for lung cancer screening according to Brazilian guidelines: a national analysis.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the sociodemographic profile of individuals eligible for lung cancer screening according to Brazilian guidelines.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging. We included individuals 50-80 years of age, with a smoking history of ≥ 20 pack-years, who were either current smokers or former smokers who had quit within the past 15 years. Demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics were analyzed.

Results: Among 8,946 participants, 577 were eligible. Most (57.4%) were male and 37.4% were between 55 and 59 years of age. Black and Brown (mixed-race) participants accounted for 53.5% of the sample, and 60.6% had < 9 years of schooling. Self-rated health was poor/fair in 52.5% of the individuals, 89.3% had no private health insurance, and 41.9% were in the lowest tertile for household income. Our findings show that eligible individuals often present features associated with social vulnerability, such as a low level of education, low income, and limited access to health care.

Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of considering sociodemographic factors in the implementation of lung cancer screening strategies, to ensure equity in access and effectiveness of public policies aimed at early diagnosis.