Text messages to boost lung cancer screening participation

Advancing Lung Cancer Screening One Text at a Time

This trial will test whether sending tailored text messages to adults aged 50–80 with a 20+ pack-year smoking history can increase completion of lung cancer screening compared with mailed educational materials.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Ages: 50 Years to 80 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of Rochester (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Rochester, New York)
• Trial ID: NCT07227480 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial enrolling 40 adults who are not up-to-date on annual lung cancer screening. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive UR Screened, a text-messaging program designed to promote lung cancer screening, or to a control arm that receives mailed educational material and a flyer about the screening program. The study will measure recruitment and follow-up rates, participant satisfaction with the intervention or materials, and uptake of lung cancer screening at week 12. Screening rates will be compared between the intervention and control groups to estimate preliminary impact.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 50–80 with a 20+ pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, are not up-to-date on annual screening, speak English or Spanish, have a working cellphone with unlimited texting, and are willing to complete baseline and 3-month surveys.

Not a fit: Patients already up-to-date on annual lung cancer screening, those without a text-capable phone or unlimited texting, those outside the age/pack-year criteria, or non-English/Spanish speakers may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the text-messaging approach could increase screening uptake and lead to earlier detection of lung cancer in eligible patients.

How similar studies have performed: Text-message interventions have improved uptake in some other cancer screening programs but have been less tested specifically for lung cancer screening, making this pilot relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* 50 to 80 years old
* have not completed their annual screening for lung cancer
* have a 20 pack-year smoking history
* currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
* speak English and/or Spanish
* have a functioning cellphone number with unlimited text messaging capacity
* be willing to complete a baseline and a follow-up (at Month 3) survey

Exclusion Criteria:

* being up-to-date on their annual lung cancer screening

Where this trial is running

Rochester, New York

• University of Rochester Medical Center — Rochester, New York, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Francisco Cartujano, MD

Conditions: Lung Cancer Screening