Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening among the Hispanic Community: An Update and Review of Literature

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. Although Hispanic and Latino (HL) populations exhibit lower smoking prevalence and lung cancer incidence, they are more frequently diagnosed at advanced stages and experience poorer outcomes. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on potential biases in lung cancer screening and care among HL populations. A total of 59 studies published between 1994 and 2025 were included, with study design, population characteristics, and key findings extracted and analyzed. Overall, 55.8% of studies reported disparities affecting HL populations, 30.8% found no significant differences, and 13.5% reported mixed results. Across studies, HL patients demonstrated lower uptake of lung cancer screening and a higher likelihood of late-stage diagnosis, suggesting barriers in early risk identification, referral pathways, and timely diagnostic evaluation. While treatment-specific outcomes were generally comparable to those of non-Hispanic White patients when care was received, disparities persisted in care delivery. In particular, HL patients were less likely to receive multimodality treatment, experienced longer hospital stays, and had higher inpatient utilization, suggesting system-level barriers to integrated, guideline-concordant care.