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Baptist Health Cancer Care Stresses Early Lung Cancer Detection
3 min. read
Baptist Health Cancer Care
Lung cancer kills more Americans than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. It’s a sobering reality that hits close to home in South Florida, because Hispanic communities — which make up roughly 70 percent of the region’s population — are less likely to be diagnosed early and more likely not to receive any treatment compared to whites, according to the American Lung Association State of Lung Cancer 2025 report.
But there’s encouraging news. With a focus on raising awareness about quick, noninvasive low-dose CT screenings, Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute is moving the needle. Through a continued partnership with the LUNGevity Foundation, a national forum for lung cancer patients, caregivers, survivors and families, the Institute is screening more people to find cancers at earlier stages, when they are more treatable.
It’s a change that, in time, will push survival rates higher.
“With community outreach, education and increased awareness about the importance of screening, we are working to change the trajectory of lung cancer,” says Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA, FASCO, who holds the Fernandez Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, as well as serving as chief of medical oncology, chief scientific officer and deputy director of the Institute and Baptist Health Cancer Care.
Project ASCENT Makes a Difference
“Since 2022, we have seen an increase of 130 percent in screenings, and we are certainly making a difference,” he adds.
Miami Cancer Institute presented “Assessing the Impact of Project ASCENT, a Multi-Level Lung Cancer Screening Intervention Targeting Hispanic/Latin Individuals,” at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona in September.
“We developed a culturally sensitive patient navigation program with a community engagement toolkit of educational materials in Spanish and English,” Dr. Ahluwalia said. Due to the success of the ASCENT project, the American Cancer Society has funded a grant that will be used to work directly with primary care physicians to ensure that their patients who qualify for screenings follow through.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 15-20 percent of those who qualify for low-dose CT lung cancer screening receive the test. Among Hispanics in Florida, however, the rate is lower.
“By empowering individuals with knowledge about their risk factors and the life-saving potential of early detection, we can begin to reverse the troubling statistics for lung cancer and save lives that might otherwise be lost to this preventable tragedy,” Dr. Ahluwalia said.
Clinical Screening Criteria
Tobacco remains the leading risk factor for lung cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual low-dose CT lung cancer screenings for people who:
- Are between 50 and 80 years old, and
- Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history (such as smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years), and
- Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
Advancing Lung Cancer Care Through Research
In addition to expanding access to lung cancer screenings, Miami Cancer Institute is leading research that will lead to improved care for patients with lung cancer.
Among the clinical trials and studies offered at the Institute are:
- A Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial of Proton Craniospinal Irradiation Versus Involved-Field Radiotherapy for Patients with Breast Cancer or Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Leptomeningeal Metastasis (RADIATE-LM) — The study is comparing different forms of irradiation for their impact on survival and progression-free survival.
- A Phase 2b, Open-Label, Two-Cohort Study of Subcutaneous Amivantamab in Combination with Lazertinib as First-Line Treatment, or Subcutaneous Amivantamab in Combination with Platinum-Based Chemotherapy as Second-Line Treatment for Common EGFR-Mutated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (COPERNICUS) — Researchers are studying whether this drug combination, given as a shot rather than through an IV, works well for treating this specific type of lung cancer at the outset or after other treatments have stopped working.
For information, or to schedule an appointment for a lung cancer screening, go to lung cancer screenings or call 833-596-2473.
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Manmeet Singh Ahluwalia, MD
Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA, FASCO, is the chief scientific officer, chief of medical oncology, deputy director and Fernandez Family Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
As a neuro-oncologist, Dr. Ahluwalia’s primary areas of research and patient care are primary brain tumors (tumors originating in the brain that can be cancerous or noncancerous) and brain metastases (cancer that originated elsewhere in the body and has spread to the brain). Dr. Ahluwalia is fluent in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
In 2025, Dr. Manmeet S. Ahluwalia was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States. This prestigious recognition honors physician-scientists under 50 who have made significant contributions to medical research and clinical care. Dr. Ahluwalia's election marks a historic milestone, as he is the first member from both Baptist Health South Florida and Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine to be inducted into the ASCI.
Dr. Ahluwalia completed internal medicine training at Cleveland Clinic Health System and fellowship training at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in 2009. He joined Cleveland Clinic, Ohio and soon became the Miller Family Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology and the head of operations at Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center in 2015. He became a full Professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in 2017. Dr. Ahluwalia obtained an MBA from Case Western - Weatherhead School of Management. Soon after, he moved to Miami Cancer Institute (MCI), intending to build the largest cancer program in South Florida. Alongside his leadership responsibilities, Dr. Ahluwalia holds the Fernandez Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Cancer Research at MCI.
Dr. Ahluwalia is driven by a passion for conquering brain tumors, having seen his grandmother succumb to cancer. For over a decade, he has led practice-changing research for developing new therapies for patients with primary brain tumors and brain metastases, resulting in his 250+ peer- reviewed papers. He designed and led the initial studies on combining immunotherapy/targeted therapy and radiosurgery in brain metastases. He co-led the first-in-man trial of Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) for primary brain tumors, which led to US FDA approval. He also designed and led the LASSR trial exploring LITT for brain metastases and radiation necrosis. He also first authored the landmark paper describing the Phase II trial of SurVaxM for glioblastoma in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Along with a busy practice, he serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) on a $3.9 million NIH R01-funded grant on quantitative imaging phenotypic classifier development for radiomics in glioblastoma. This is the first NIH R01 grant ever received by Baptist Health. He is also the ‘clinical trial leader’ on the $10.4 million PO1 grant focusing on Glioblastoma gender-specific differences (Cosine Consortium). He is the PI on ongoing paradigm-changing FDA-approval-intent studies on blood- brain barrier disruption by Insightec Neuroblate (LIMITLESS, LIBERATE) through Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for primary brain tumors and brain metastases. He also chairs the scientific advisory committee of Guardian Research Network (GRN), a nationwide healthcare alliance.
Dr. Ahluwalia has been a leader in organized efforts in neuro-oncology. He currently serves as the chair of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) South-West Oncology Group (SWOG) Brain Tumor Working Group and the DEI co-chair of SWOG. He also chairs the Scientific Review Committee of the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation. He also serves as a member of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) Roundtable Committee and as founder PI of the coordinating site for the International Radiosurgery Research Foundation.
Dr. Ahluwalia has received several prestigious awards, including the Fellowship of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the National Cancer Institute/CTEP Career Development Award via the American Brain Tumor Consortium (ABTC), ASCO Leadership Development Program, Most Distinguished Physician Award of AAPI, amongst others.
In his free time, Dr. Ahluwalia enjoys spending time with his children, playing and watching tennis, and watching movies with his family.
Compassionate, Expert Cancer Care at Baptist Health
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