Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP)
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer among Veterans, and the second most common cancer in men and women. However, lung cancer screening and early detection can save lives.
To better address care for Veterans, VA has established the Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP) to foster participation in lung cancer screening, genomic testing and precision oncology trials. When Veterans participate in these trials, it allows us to tailor treatment to the needs of the individual.
Be proactive with your lung health
More than one million Veterans are eligible for screenings through the VA. For those who qualify, annual lung cancer screenings are provided at no cost, with no copay. You may be eligible for a lung cancer screening if you are:
- Between 50-80 years old,
- Currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years, and
- Have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years
- For example, smoking one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years.
If this applies to you, discuss it with your primary care physician (PCP) or contact the Lung Cancer Screening Program at
Schedule an appointment with your PCP today!
Lung Cancer Screening in our VA Related Network
If you’re located in our surrounding areas & interested in lung cancer screening or smoking cessation; consider contacting your LCS Navigator at one of our VA LPOP spokes sites:
Alexandria, LA
Mr. Peter Karr, PA
peter.karr1@va.gov
Jackson, MS
Ms. Elizabeth Crawford, FNP-BC
elizabeth.crawford3@va.gov
New Orleans, LA
Shreveport, LA
Ms. Laura Houston, RN, OCN
laura.houston@va.gov
Want to quit smoking?
Have you ever smoked? Each year, nearly 8,000 Veterans are diagnosed and treated for lung cancer within the VA health care system. Given that lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest cancers among Veterans, the VA strongly encourages all eligible Veterans to undergo regular screenings. Early detection is key, as lung cancer is treatable, especially when caught in its early stages.
Thinking about quitting? Let us help you!
When you’re trying to quit tobacco, counseling or medication increase your chance of success. Using these two together offers the best chance of quitting. From casual self-help to one-on-one counseling, your VA has options to help you quit for good.
Join our tobacco cessation group. We are currently offering group participation by video and telephone conference only.
Tobacco cessation group
- When: Thursdays, 1:00 p.m.
- Where: Join Webex meeting
- Phone: 404-397-1596
- Access code: 276-145-58532#
The group meets weekly for 60 minutes and you can start attending at any time. This is a drop-in group; no referral is required. There is no co-pay for attending tobacco treatment.
Need extra support during the week?
Call 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838), 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Monday-Friday to speak to a tobacco quit coach in English or Spanish. QuitVET connects Veterans to a trained counselor who can help develop a quit plan and provide ongoing counseling and support.
Prefer to text or find support online?
- Text VET (or VETesp for Spanish) to 47848 to receive texts with tips and tools to beat cravings.
- Text URGE, STRESS, SMOKED, or DIPPED to 47848 for extra support.
- Follow the SmokefreeVET Facebook page for tips and encouragement from other Veterans.
- Download Stay Quit Coach, VA’s interactive quit tobacco app. Available for IOS or Android in your app store.
- Find more VA resources on how to quit.
For more information, please contact Dr. Zina Peters at 281-797-8662.
Get involved in clinical research
LPOP and Houston VA are committed to providing Veterans access to clinical trials which can include prevention, diagnosis and even treatment. We are active in several cutting-edge clinical trials aimed at detecting, treating and even preventing lung cancer in Veterans. If you would like more information or learn more about participating in one of our many trials, talk to our team to learn more about opportunities which may be available to you.
Our focus is to provide targeted cancer care for Veterans while facilitating access to investigational therapies through clinical trials.
Open clinical trials
Clinical Trial Title: (Nucleix) Determination and Validation of Lung EpiCheck a Multianalyte Assay for Lung Cancer Prediction. A Case-Control Study.
Clinical Trial Overview: Lung cancer screening reduces mortality. Study aim is to validate the performance of Lung EpiCheck, a six-marker panel methylation-based plasma test, in the detection of lung cancer.
Clinical Trial Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02373917.
Contact Information:
Dr. Kheradmand, PI | Farrah.Kheradmand@va.gov |
Michael Sustaita, Study Coordinator | michael.sustaita@va.gov |
Clinical Trial Title: (Prophetic) Predicting responsiveness in oncology patients based on host response evaluation during anticancer treatments
Clinical Trial Overview: The goal of this research study is to develop an algorithm that predicts the patient's treatment outcome.This algorithm will serve as a tool for physicians when making treatment decisions, specifically for stage IV NSCLC and malignant melanoma patients receiving anti-cancer treatments. The investigators also aim to identify the metabolic pathways that could lead to better therapeutic options. The patients will be given their treatment according to the institute's standard of care. The patients will provide two blood samples and clinical data will be collected from their medical records.
In the first part of the trial, the data obtained from the blood samples and the medical records of the patients will be used to develop the prediction algorithm, and in the second part of the trial, the algorithm will be validated by comparing the objective response rate of the patients to the theoretical response prediction of the algorithm.
Clinical Trial Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT ID: NCT04056247
Contact Information:
Dr. Huang, PI | Quillan.Huang@va.gov |
Michael Sustaita, Study Coordinator | michael.sustaita@va.gov |
Clinical Trial Title: (TROPION-Lung10) A Phase III, Randomised, Open-label, Global Study of Datopotamab Deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) in Combination With Rilvegostomig (AZD2936) or Rilvegostomig Monotherapy Versus Pembrolizumab Monotherapy for the First-line Treatment of Participants With Locally-advanced or Metastatic Non-squamous NSCLC With High PD-L1 Expression (TC ? 50%) and Without Actionable Genomic Alterations
Clinical Trial Overview:
Clinical Trial Number:
Contact Information:
Dr. Huang, PI | Quillan.Huang@va.gov |
Ebony Nelson, Program Manager | ebony.nelson@va.gov |
Clinical Trial Title: (Prophetic) Predicting responsiveness in oncology patients based on host response evaluation during anticancer treatments
Clinical Trial Overview: The goal of this research study is to develop an algorithm that predicts the patient's treatment outcome.This algorithm will serve as a tool for physicians when making treatment decisions, specifically for stage IV NSCLC and malignant melanoma patients receiving anti-cancer treatments. The investigators also aim to identify the metabolic pathways that could lead to better therapeutic options. The patients will be given their treatment according to the institute's standard of care. The patients will provide two blood samples and clinical data will be collected from their medical records.
In the first part of the trial, the data obtained from the blood samples and the medical records of the patients will be used to develop the prediction algorithm, and in the second part of the trial, the algorithm will be validated by comparing the objective response rate of the patients to the theoretical response prediction of the algorithm.
Clinical Trial Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT ID: NCT04056247
Contact Information:
Dr. Huang, PI | Quillan.Huang@va.gov |
Michael Sustaita, Study Coordinator | michael.sustaita@va.gov |
Clinical Trial Title: (VALOR) CSP #2005: VA Lung Cancer Surgery or Stereotactic Radiotherapy
Clinical Trial Overview: Patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been historically treated with surgery whenever they are fit for an operation. However, an alternative treatment known as stereotactic radiotherapy now appears to offer an equally effective alternative. Doctors believe both are good treatments and are therefore conducting this study to determine if one may be possibly better than the other.
Clinical Trial Number: NCT02984761 | Study ClinicalTrials.gov site
Contact Information:
Dr. Cornwell, PI | lorraine.cornwell@va.gov |
Adriana Rueda, Study Coordinator | adriana.rueda@va.gov |
Sponsor or conduct research at Houston VA
Are you a sponsor, or interested in conducting clinical research at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, please contact:
Dr. Quillan Huang
Quillan.Huang@va.gov
quillanh@bcm.edu
Quality Improvement Projects (IQuest)
Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt): The Deputy Director, Dr. Drew Helmer, MD, MS, is a co-investigator on this application. IQuESt is one of 18 competitively awarded Centers of Innovations (COINs) funded by the Health Services Research & Development Service (HSR&D) Service of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and is the largest in the southeast U.S. The mission of IQuESt is to improve health and well-being through innovations in health care delivery (38-40).
The goals of IQuESt are very well aligned with those of the LPOP, including researching on health care delivery that impacts policy, practice, and the health of patients; dissemination and implementation of innovations in health care delivery; and training and mentoring researchers and leaders in health care delivery science. Dr. Helmer will lead IQuESt contributions to the MEDVAMC LPOP in community engagement, implementation science, and data management and analytics, drawing on the expertise and experience of IQuESt investigators in these areas.
LPOP investigators at “Hub & Spokes” will be supported by Dr. Helmer and the data programmer, statistician and coordinator covered by this proposal, and have access to a full range of research support staff and collaborators for newly funded research proposals. IQuESt also hosts several fellowship training programs that could serve health services and implementation science trainees interested in lung cancer.
Source: Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety Home
LPOP related events at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
November:
- Lung Cancer Screening Month
- Yearly in November
- Purpose: To strengthened and expand knowledge surrounding MEDVAMC programs in which Veterans can access.
- Great American Smoke Out & Lung Cancer Screening Day