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Jamie Studts, PhDDr. Jamie L. Studts is a Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and Assistant Director for Cancer Prevention and Control within the Markey Cancer Center. Dr. Studts is a licensed clinical health psychologist, and his interests address behavioral aspects of tobacco-related malignancies. His research develops and tests community-engaged interventions to promote informed/shared decision making and behavior change among patients and clinicians regarding prevention, screening, and survivorship of lung and head/neck cancer. Dr. Studts is the Principal Investigator of the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative, and he served on the Institute of Medicine National Cancer Policy Forum addressing Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening. He is a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and a member of the Scientific Leadership Board for the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer and the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable, serving as Chair of the Survivorship, Stigma, and Nihilism Task Group
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Describe your advocacy efforts and the community you serve. |
Kentucky suffers the highest rate of lung cancer incidence and mortality in the United States, and is an epicenter of lung cancer in the world. In collaboration with a large team, we work on efforts to increase access to high quality lung cancer screening and lung cancer survivorship across the state—from Paducah to Pikeville. We employ multilevel approaches to working with individuals, families, communities, clinicians, and healthcare systems to reduce the burden of lung cancer in Kentucky. While the burden is great, so is the opportunity to leverage the full range of innovations in lung cancer prevention and control that are infusing optimism where only stigma and fatalism existed previously.
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Give one example of results you have seen through your efforts.
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Guiding a comprehensive, multilevel effort (1) to raise awareness of lung cancer screening among individuals, families, and communities, (2) to educate clinicians regarding the opportunity to engage patients and refer appropriate candidates for lung cancer screening, and (2) to work with lung cancer screening programs to facilitate implementation of high quality screening, we have achieved incredible outcomes in Kentucky. Recent data from the American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening Registry show that Kentucky has achieved the highest per capita rate of lung cancer screening in the nation, creating an impressive trajectory to reduce the burden of lung cancer in the Commonwealth.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Kentucky, the state with the highest rate of cancer incidence and mortality. Anecdotally, I have not met the Kentuckian yet who has not had a family member, friend, or co-worker affected by lung cancer. This has a profound impact on Kentucky families as well its devastating effects on public health and the economy. With the advent of lung cancer screening, new approaches to lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as advancements in palliative and supportive care, it is a transformative time in lung cancer care and control. However, the challenge is making sure that Kentuckians have access to these lung cancer innovations. This is what drives my team—to turn Kentucky from the state with the greatest lung cancer burden into the state that has made the most progress toward eliminating the impact of lung cancer.
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