Equity and action: Ida Spruill and Walter Lawrence

Ida J. Spruill, PhD, was a researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina who touched the lives of many through her important research in the Sea Island community. This community is a unique group of African Americans who are known for preserving more of their cultural heritage than any other group of African Americans in the U.S. The group is important to cancer research because it is uniquely positioned to allow genetic studies of complex diseases such as hormone-related cancer.

Spruill was successful in working with the Sea Island community to gain their trust and participation in cancer disparities research. She was known for her devotion to the community and for keeping them informed of research findings.

Spruill passed away in 2016, but her legacy continues. In this video, her colleagues remember her notable contributions and how her work is being continued today at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

For more information about Spruill’s legacy, check out this additional video featuring interviews with her family, friends and colleagues.

Walter Lawrence has combined scientific vision with walking the walk for social justice, advocating for enrolling minority patients in clinical trials, mentoring young Black oncologists, and—at a time when the American Medical Association refused to take a stand against racism—attending the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, a group of distinguished surgeons that made him an honorary member.

In fact, Lawrence had resigned from the Southern Surgical Association in protest against that organization’s refusal to admit LaSalle Leffall, Jr., a Black surgeon. Lawrence rejoined the association years later, only after Leffall was admitted.

The 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act—a document signed on Dec. 23, 1971—comes at a time when science and health equity have become inseparable. Walter Lawrence was ahead of his time, and now, with the world catching up, The Cancer Letter invited Lawrence to reflect on the past half-century of pursuit of truth and justice.

Lawrence died Nov. 9, 2021, at 96. An obituary appears here. 

Originally published July 9, 2021

Coral Olazagasti, MD, and Nagashree Seetharamu, MD, MBBS

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. It carries a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 20%, mainly resulting from the often advanced stage at diagnosis. Lung cancer screening guidelines were implemented by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2011 and 2013, respectively, after landmark clinical trials, such as the National Lung Screening Trial and The Dutch–Belgian Randomized Lung Cancer Screening Trial, showed earlier diagnosis and decreased mortality rates with low-dose CT (LDCT) as a screening modality.  

Despite these recommendations, lung cancer screening remains vastly underused to date, with less than 20% of the high-risk eligible population undergoing lung cancer screening. Low rates of lung cancer screening are even more noticeable among underserved populations. Herein, we discuss three abstracts from the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting that address disparities in lung cancer screening, including an abstract we coauthored.