Addressing disparities in lung cancer detection

Indigenous Pact (WI, USA); a company with a mission to create health equity for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and DELFI Diagnostics (MD, USA); a leader in developing accessible next-generation blood-based tests, have announced their collaboration to improve lung cancer detection in Tribal communities across Washington State. Leveraging DELFI’s FirstLook Lung test, this initiative aims to address the critical health disparity faced by AI/AN populations.

Indigenous communities often suffer from poor access to lung cancer screening, a factor that can be compounded by the historic undermining of trust between these communities and the medical establishment and a number of socioeconomic factors. As such, AI/AN populations are often disproportionately impacted by lung cancer.

To address this issue, and others like it, Indigenous Pact strives to improve the access of these communities to healthcare in a fashion that incorporates and respects their cultural practices. By promoting inclusivity this effort aims to increase participation in preventative actions that could dramatically improve outcomes for AI/AN populations.

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Key to this partnership, highlighted by the Biden Cancer Moonshot as a pioneering effort, is the FirstLook Lung diagnostic test, a non-invasive blood-based test that uses machine learning to analyze whole-genome sequencing data to improve the early detection of lung cancer. Starting in the Pacific Northwest, the initiative aims to expand to other Tribal Nations, offering a vital resource in the fight against lung cancer for those who are frequently overlooked.

Commenting on the impact of the study, Kurt Brenkus, Founder and CEO of Indigenous Pact noted that cancer is, “… the second highest health and mortality disparity among the AI/AN populations. This test is a great first step to helping identify risk in rural communities where we lack access to imaging and cancer-related diagnostics. We are so excited to be partnering with DELFI – a truly forward-thinking group that represents the best of future screening tools, not just for rural, hard-to-reach populations but for the entire country.”